Changing The World
by potters62442
Summary: What happens when a secret letter tells the marauders about their gloomy future. Join the marauders and friends on their quest to change the future and end the war. Can knowing the future help them? Abandoned.
1. Chapter-1

CHAPTER-1 UNEXPECTED LETTER

It was 5th September 1976, new term of Hogwarts has begun only four days ago and sixth year students were already packed with enough homework to last a lifetime. But even a huge pile of homework was not sufficient enough to diminish marauder spirit. In 6th year dormitory three boys were sprawled across their beds, one sandy haired boy was trying to read through his potions essay to check for possible amendments and other two were planning for their grand start of term prank on Slytherins as well as distracting their friend. They were planning to dye Slytherin students in green color with streaks of silver on tomorrow breakfast. They were discussing minor details of their prank with occasional help from the sandy haired boy named Remus Lupin. Their fourth friend Peter Pettigrew was missing from dorm room as he has managed to land himself in a week long detention with their head of house Minerva McGonagall for not completing a particularly difficult essay on human transfiguration. Though Lupin didn't blame poor boy for this particular detention, after all not everybody was king of transfiguration like James Potter, the boy sitting on the next bed having messy black hair, who was merrily chatting to Sirius Black the third boy in dorm with long shiny black hair and a particularly charming smile.

They were half way through their plan when out of nowhere a streak of blinding golden light appeared in their room, they all made a jump for their wands and James landed on ground with tiger like speed and agility pointing his wand to the center of golden light, ready to attack any moment, other two boys were also ready for a fight. All three of them were surprised to see that golden light was gone leaving a slightly smoking piece of parchment behind, James strode forward carefully and picked up the piece of parchment. It was addressed to James Potter, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin. James raised an eyebrow and looked at his friends because even in magical world, getting letters appearing out of thin air was not a good sign. Remus nodded to James and he unfolded the parchment and read loudly,

Marauders,

Kindly report on 7th floor. On left hand side you will find a tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy. Wait there for a fellow wizard to join you and once you all gather there walk in front of that tapestry three times holding this letter. A door will appear there which will lead you all in a room, where you will find further instructions. But remember only you three are supposed to go there and PETER PETTIGREW aka WORMTAIL is not invited.

T.R.

They were shocked. Someone happened to know about their marauder secret. No one knew about that except the four boys themselves.

"Who is T.R. and how does he know about us?" asked James looking at his friends, confusion was clearly written on their faces.

"This is interesting!" muttered Remus.

"Why are we not allowed to bring Wormtail, he is the fourth marauder after all!" complained Sirius.

"Let's just go and find out." suggested James.

They all nodded and walked out of their dorm. Remus was still bewildered at how someone managed to find them and send letter like that. "why didn't they just use the owl post?" he thought to himself. Sirius was practically bouncing with excitement but James was unusually quite. He couldn't make himself feel ecstatic about this unforeseen adventure. Atmosphere outside Hogwarts was tense, they were in the middle of a war, Voldemort was unstoppable and things were on a downhill. And in such conditions he gets a suspicious letter, "this better be a bloody prank", he thought to himself.

They reached 7th floor after 5 minutes, they found the tapestry as instructed in the letter now they were supposed to wait for a mysterious 'fellow wizard' to proceed. Sirius wanted to find the mystery room without their companion but Remus and James decided to wait, James subconsciously wishing their 4th companion to be Lily Evans, his first and last ever crush. After 5 painful minutes of wait they heard footsteps approaching them. "Finally!" exclaimed Sirius who was on the verge of explosion with anticipation. After another moment they saw Severus Snape coming towards them with his signature scowl fixed on his face and a piece of parchment similar to theirs in his hand. He was looking like a bad tempered bat.

"what are you doing here?" Sirius and Severus exclaimed together. Sirius raised his wand to hex Snape as he was their sworn enemy from first day of school and according to Sirius and James, deserved to be hexed simply for existing, Snape also raised his wand knowing that Black possessed temper shorter then a flobberworm and to everyone's surprise James stopped Sirius from hexing Snape noticing the piece of parchment clutched in his hand. He cast a shield between Sirius and Snape as understanding dawned on him.

"You got a mysterious letter from T.R. asking you to report here?" asked James not at all liking the prospect of Snape being that fellow wizard.

"I got a letter from J.S. asking me to report here and wait for three fellow wizards, and something about your shocked filthy faces is telling me that you people are those fellow wizards" said Snape disgustedly. He was now deeply regretting his decision to actually follow instructions from a mysterious letter.

"Oh no", murmured Sirius.

"Who is J.S.?" asked Remus.

"How am I supposed to know?" snapped Severus.

"No need to use that tone here" growled James and Sirius together.

"Guys, let's just get over with it" reasoned Remus, sensing that a war was approaching them between these three sworn enemies.

"I don't need you tell me what am I supposed to do" snarled Snape. His patience with marauders was very limited and he really wanted to be back in his dorm to finish his work.

"No one is allowed to talk to Remus in that tone," said James in a voice so dangerous that it could give you goose bumps. He would feel more than happy to teach Snape a nice lesson but he also wanted to discover the mystery of this letter.

"We will be more then delighted to be left alone Snivellus" said Sirius in a menacingly silky voice, he himself didn't attack Severus understanding James's hesitation.

"Let's just finish it quickly," Snape said after a moment of deliberation.

James and Sirius rolled their eyes and Remus sighed in relief. Clutching their letter and feeling extremely foolish they walked in front of the tapestry for three times and to their absolute amazement a door knob appeared in front of them.

"This castle never fails to amuse me!" Sirius was ecstatic.

Remus and James glanced at each other and even Severus was beginning to feel uncomfortable about this entire situation.

"Wands out," warned James and everyone clutched their wands tightly ready to attack even at slightest of movement and hoping that they wouldn't have to.

They opened the secret door and entered a giant room which looked like a beautifully decorated living room. Red and green curtains hung everywhere, in the corner was a giant fireplace same as Gryffindor common room and in the middle of the room was situated a glass table surrounded by a couch and armchairs and on glass table was situated a book and on top of book was placed…

"Another letter," said Sirius and reached for it meanwhile Remus picked up the book…

"Harry Potter and the philosopher's stone," he read the title.

"Hey prongs, who is Harry?" Sirius asked James.

James shook his head, "No one that I know of," he replied.

"Why don't you just read the letter and find out," suggested Snape in a bored voice.

With a cold look at Snape, Sirius opened the letter and read aloud,

Dear James, Sirius, Remus and Severus,

The book that you have been given is about Harry Potter, Future son of James Potter.

"What!" three voices exclaimed, Severus was looking stunned. James nodded, indicating him to read ahead.

The room in which you are currently present is called room of requirement. As the name suggest this room presents itself in front of those who need it. You four are called here to read this book, know the future and of course, change it for good. Now, while you are here and reading this book you should keep in mind these following things:

1\. This is a story from future, none of this has happened yet. So don't get worked up about how things are in future. And don't blame anyone for their actions in future. (at least not till you finish the entire book)

2\. While you are in this room, the magic of this room won't let you use your own magic, don't worry about it your wands will function normally as soon as you are out of this room, it's just a precautionary measure. We don't want you all to hurt each other in the process of reading these books.

"Why would we want to hurt each other?" Remus couldn't help wondering.

3\. As you can see only you four are invited here to have a look at future so it is pretty clear that this knowledge must remain a secret guarded by four of you. Not even Peter Pettigrew is supposed to know about it.

"This is the second time they have asked us to keep wormy out of it" Sirius was becoming frustrated with that.

"I wonder why?" said James.

4\. You are not allowed to take any book out of this room. If you do so, well, putting it bluntly, the book will explode and so will your only chance to change the future. Boom!

Yours sincerely

J.S. and T.R.

And please! Your life and death depends on this book so take it seriously.

The silence that followed was scary.

"Why does my life and death depend on your future son's story?" finally Snape managed to form a coherent sentence.

James was too stunned to reply.

"I think we should read this book to find out", this time Sirius suggested. They all agreed, even Snape knew that if Black was suggesting to read, situation must be damn serious.

The marauders all settled on the couch, Remus and Sirius on both sides of James, and Snape sat on the arm chair as far away from marauders as possible.

"So should I begin?" asked Remus holding the book out.

"I will read the book," said James; Sirius looked like someone just kicked him in the gut.

"It is about my son!" defended James and took the book, shuffling through pages he reached the first chapter and started reading.


	2. Mind Boggling Future

**A/N: ALL THE CONTENT IN BOLD BELONGS TO ONE AND ONLY J.K. ROWLING. I AM NOT MAKING ANY PROFIT OR MONEY FROM HER WORK. THIS IS SOLELY FOR THE PURPOSE OF ENTERTAINMENT.**

 **Chapter-1 The-Boy-Who-Lived**

 **Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.**

"What nonsense!" snorted Sirius "And who are these Dursleys?"

"We might be able to figure it out if you will let me read Padfoot." said James in an exasperated voice.

"Sirius and his patience with books." chuckled Remus.

"Why don't you all just shut up and let Potter read, I don't have entire year to listen to your nonsense!" snapped Snape.

"Oh really! And what is it such an important task that you are supposed to do? Take lice out of your greasy head." said Sirius in a mocking voice shooting a non-verbal stinging hex at him.

"your magic won't work in this room." Snape reminded Black enjoying the look of horror on his face at the failure of his spell.

"damn it!" Sirius cursed.

Remus sighed, knowing that he was trapped here for a really long night.

 **Mr. Dursley was the director of a firm called Grunnings, which made drills. He was a big, beefy man with hardly any neck, although he did have a very large mustache.**

"Handsome young man he is!" Sirius couldn't stop himself from saying; Remus rolled his eyes at the description, even Snape was shaking his head.

 **Mrs.** **Dursley was thin and blonde and had nearly twice the usual amount of neck, which came in very useful as she spent so much of her time craning over garden fences, spying on the neighbors. The Dursleys had a small son called Dudley and in their opinion there was no finer boy anywhere.**

By this point Sirius was shaking with laughter, Remus and James were having hard time containing their own laughter and Snape was having hard time acting like he was bored.

"That is one freaking amazing family." commented Sirius and marauders burst out laughing.

"My son better stay away from these people." said James a note of worry in his voice.

 **The Dursleys had everything they wanted, but they also had a secret. They didn't think they could bear it if anyone found out about the Potters.**

James stopped reading abruptly, "What does that mean?" he looked at book as if expecting it to answer back. Remus motioned James to read ahead.

 **Mrs. Potter was Mrs. Dursley's sister, but they hadn't met for several years. The Dursleys knew that the Potters had a small son. This boy was another good reason for keeping the Potters away; they didn't want Dudley mixing with a child like that.**

"Is that your wife they are talking about?" asked Sirius.

"Is that my son they are talking about?" asked James. He was looking green only by the thought of being associated with these Dursleys.

"Let's read." said Remus. He was feeling slightly sick by the idea of James having to deal with such people in future.

"No wonder someone wants us to change the future." snickered Sirius.

 **When Mr. and Mrs. Dursley woke up on the dull, gray Tuesday, there was nothing about the cloudy sky outside to suggest that strange and mysterious things would soon be happening all over the country.**

 **None of them noticed a large, tawny owl flutter past the window.**

All four boys raised their eyebrows at this statement. An owl in broad daylight meant 'owl post' and this was rare as owls were generally trained to stay away from Muggle areas.

 **At half past eight, Mr. Dursley picked up his briefcase, pecked Mrs. Dursley on the cheek, and tried to kiss Dudley good-bye but missed, because Dudley was now having a tantrum and throwing his cereal at the walls. "Little tyke," chortled Mr. Dursley.**

"Little pig," chortled Sirius.

 **It was on the corner of the street that he noticed the first sign of something peculiar - a cat reading a map. He jerked his head around to look again. There was a tabby cat standing on the corner of Privet Drive, but there wasn't a map in sight.**

"Is that McGonagall?" started Remus.

"There might be a possibility," said James.

"But what is she doing there?" asked Sirius.

"Only one way to figure out," replied Severus in his usual bored voice.

 **Mr.** **Dursley** **blinked and stared at the cat. It stared back. As Mr. Dursley drove around the corner and up the road, he watched the cat in his mirror. It was now reading the sign that said Privet Drive - no, looking at the sign; cats couldn't read maps or signs.**

"This is definitely McGonagall, she is the only cat who acts so less like a cat," chuckled Sirius now feeling excited about this book as he found someone he knew in the story.

 **As he sat in the usual morning traffic jam, he couldn't help noticing that there seemed to be a lot of strangely dressed people about. People in cloaks.**

At this all marauders exchanged glances and Snape stared at book like it was suggesting murder.

 **Mr.** **Dursley** **couldn't bear people who dressed in funny clothes. But then it struck Mr. Dursley that these people were obviously collecting for something... yes, that would be it.**

"That stupid git has sick imagination," Sirius was now really frustrated with Dursleys. James threw him an understanding look and continued,

 **Mr.** **Dursley** **always sat with his back to the window in his office on the ninth floor. He didn't see the owls swooping past in broad daylight, though people down in the street did; they pointed and gazed open- mouthed as owl after owl sped overhead.**

"This can't be true, this is a serious breach of statute of secrecy", Remus said faintly, all three boys agreed with him mentally.

 **He was in a very good mood until lunchtime, when he thought he'd stretch his legs and walk across the road to buy himself a bun from the bakery.**

"By the sound of his description I don't think he needs any more food," snickered Snape for the first time. Sirius had a hard time maintaining a passive face.

 **He'd forgotten all about the people in cloaks until he passed a group of them next to the baker's. It was on his way back past them that he caught a few words of what they were saying.**

 **"The Potters, that's right, that's what I heard yes, their son, Harry"**

"What about my son?" exclaimed James.

 **He looked back at the whisperers as if he wanted to say something to them, but thought better of it.**

"Well at least he has some common sense," said Sirius. He wanted to know what they were talking about but he was not having a good feeling about Dursley talking to cloaked people about Potters.

 **He dashed back across the road and had almost finished dialing his home number when he changed his mind... no, he was being stupid.**

"…and paranoid, and duffer, and idiot, and fat, and baboon head…." Remus smacked Sirius on head as he listed on his finger tips several things that he thought Mr. Dursley was being.

 **He was sure there were lots of people called Potter who had a son called Harry. There was no point in worrying Mrs. Dursley... but all the same, those people in cloaks...**

"arghh… he is irritating me to no end," James was furious.

 **when he left the building, he was still so worried that he walked straight into someone. "Sorry," he grunted,**

"He knows that word?" asked Remus incredulously.

 **as the tiny old man stumbled and almost fell. It was a few seconds before Mr. Dursley realized that the man was wearing a violet cloak.**

"That git walked right into a wizard," muttered Sirius. Remus was not having a very good feeling about it.

 **He didn't seem at all upset at being almost knocked to the ground. "Don't be sorry, my dear sir, Rejoice, for You-Know-Who has gone at last! Even Muggles like you should be celebrating, this happy, happy day!"**

"What!" all three marauders were staring at the book with their eyes almost budging out of their eye sockets. On the other hand the only Slytherin in the room looked like someone just punched him in his gut. All color gone from his face, he was looking as white as a ghost.

Sirius nudged James in his stomach and nodded towards Severus.

"Anything wrong Snivellus?" asked James his voice full of mock concern, his face slowly splitting in a full and wide grin.

"Read," chocked Slytherin like his life depended on it.

 **And the old man hugged Mr. Dursley around the middle and walked off. He had been hugged by a complete stranger. He also thought he had been called a Muggle, whatever that was. He hurried to his car, hoping he was imagining things, which he had never hoped before, because he didn't approve of imagination.**

"What a truly horrible life he must be living!" amused Sirius. He was feeling slightly offended by the fact that Mr. Dursley didn't approve of imagination.

 **As he pulled into the driveway of number four, the first thing he saw was the tabby cat he'd spotted that morning. It had the same markings around its eyes.**

"McGonagall," chorused all three boys together. This book was turning to be a gift from god for marauders.

"Why would anyone want us to change such lovely future?" Sirius said almost laughing. James and Remus exchanged anxious glances at that. If someone wanted them to change the future with such lovely prospects then there must be something horrible coming along.

 **"Shoo!" said Mr. Dursley loudly. The cat didn't move. It just gave him a stern look. Was this normal cat behavior? Mr. Dursley wondered.**

"No! That's normal McGonagall behavior," James commented.

"honestly Prongs, you can even interrupt yourself," Remus chuckled.

 **Mrs.** **Dursley** **had had a nice, normal day. She told him over dinner how Dudley had learned a new word ("Won't!").**

 **"** He is going to be a good mannered kid," said Remus sarcastically.

 **When Dudley had been put to bed, he went into the living room in time to catch the last report on the evening news:**

 **"And finally, There have been hundreds of sightings of these birds flying in every direction since sunrise. "Well, Ted," said the weatherman, "it's not only the owls that have been acting oddly today. Viewers as far apart as Kent, Yorkshire, and Dundee have been phoning in to tell me they've had a downpour of shooting stars!"**

"Are they…," chocked Remus.

"Probably they are celebrating…," suggested James.

"They are awesome!" chimed Sirius. Other boys looked at him like he was mad. Trust Sirius to find humor in deadly situations.

 **Shooting stars all over Britain? Owls flying by daylight? Mysterious people in cloaks all over the place? And a whisper, a whisper about the Potters...**

 **"Er - Petunia, dear - you haven't heard from your sister lately, have you?"**

"Read that again!" came Snape's hoarse voice.

"What?" asked James.

"Last line…" replied Snape, his face was looking like each word was causing him death pain.

 **"Er - Petunia, dear - you haven't heard from your sister lately, have you?"**

It clicked immediately. This name, that paranoia about magical world. It took severus nothing more than 2 seconds to put 2 and 2 together.

Lily Evans and James Potter, no,no no! not possible.

"Anything wrong Snivellus?" asked James this time his voice filled with actual concern.

"Man, you look like you are about to be violently sick," pointed out Sirius. Snape looked at those boys anger flashing clear on his sharp features.

"How about I do become sick, violently, on your robes?," spat Snape through his gritted teeth.

"You will behave if you don't want to have slugs in your breakfast tomorrow," retorted Sirius wishing he could hex Snape. James was also looking highly offended. They were acting civil for last hour or something, he was hoping that to continue at least as long as they were reading about his son.

 **As he had expected, Mrs. Dursley looked shocked and angry.**

 **"No," she said sharply. "Why?"**

 **"Funny stuff on the news," Mr. Dursley mumbled. "Owls... shooting stars... and there were a lot of funny-looking people in town today..."**

 **"So?" snapped Mrs. Dursley.**

 **"Well, I just thought... maybe... it was something to do with... you know... her crowd."**

 **"Their son - he'd be about Dudley's age now, wouldn't he?"**

 **"I suppose so," said Mrs. Dursley stiffly.**

 **"What's his name again? Howard, isn't it?"**

"He doesn't even know the name of his nephew!" Remus shook his head.

 **"Harry. Nasty, common name, if you ask me."**

"Hey! That's a brilliant name, you idiot woman!" James was furious.

 **Mr.** **Dursley** **crept to the bedroom window and peered down into the front garden. The cat was still there. It was staring down Privet Drive as though it were waiting for something.**

"Of course she is, she won't sit there all day along to play with your baby elephant son," Sirius was offended with petunia because she insulted his best mate's son.

 **His last, comforting thought before he fell asleep was that even if the Potters were involved, there was no reason for them to come near him and Mrs. Dursley.**

 **How very wrong he was.**

"Uh-oh," exclaimed Remus, "I am not having good feelings about this Prongs!"

 **Mr. Dursley might have been drifting into an uneasy sleep, but the cat on the wall outside was showing no sign of sleepiness. In fact, it was nearly midnight before the cat moved at all.**

 **A man appeared on the corner the cat had been watching, appeared so suddenly and silently you'd have thought he'd just popped out of the ground.**

"Because this is what he did, he apparated there,"

"Thanks Sirius,"

 **The cat's tail twitched and its eyes narrowed.**

"Finally some action!" breathed Sirius.

 **He was tall, thin, and very old. He was wearing long robes, a purple cloak that swept the ground. His blue eyes were light, bright, and sparkling behind half-moon spectacles and his nose was very long and crooked, as though it had been broken at least twice.**

"Dumbledore!" exclaimed everyone in the room.

 **This man's name was Albus Dumbledore.**

They all smiled smugly.

 **Albus** **Dumbledore** **was busy rummaging in his cloak. He found what he was looking for in his inside pocket. It seemed to be a silver cigarette lighter. He flicked it open, and clicked it. The nearest street lamp went out. He clicked the Put-Outer, until the only lights left on the whole street were two tiny pinpricks in the distance, which were the eyes of the cat watching him.**

"Trust McGonagall to produce light with her death stare," muttered James.

 **"Fancy seeing you here, Professor McGonagall."**

 **He turned to smile at the tabby, but it had gone. Instead he was smiling**

 **at a rather severe-looking woman who was wearing square glasses. She, too, was**

 **wearing a cloak, an emerald one. Her black hair was drawn into a tight**

 **bun.**

 **"My dear Professor, I 've never seen a cat sit so stiffly."**

 **"You'd be stiff if you'd been sitting on a brick wall all day," said Professor McGonagall.**

 **"All day? When you could have been celebrating?"**

"Trust Dumbledore to infuriate people even without saying anything offensive," this time muttered Remus.

 **Professor** **McGonagall** **sniffed angrily.**

Sirius laughed, "She does that all the time with me!"

 **"Oh yes, everyone's celebrating, all right," she said impatiently.**

 **"** **Shooting stars down in Kent - I'll bet that was Dedalus Diggle. He never had much sense."**

"Diggle?" asked James looking around for explanation.

"Hufflepuff, graduated last year," replied Remus.

 **"You can't blame them," said Dumbledore gently.**

"Exactly, no one should ever blame anyone for partying! That's against the code of conduct of being human," said Sirius solemnly.

Marauders chuckled at this comment but Snape was sending daggers at marauders with his eyes. This was turning out to be the worst night of his existence. First he hears the news of downfall of his great master then he comes to know that his childhood love Lily Evans ended up getting married with his greatest enemy James Potter. "What is next?" he thought "…news of my own death!"

 **"I know that," said Professor McGonagall irritably. "I suppose he really has gone, Dumbledore?"**

 **"It certainly seems so," said Dumbledore.**

 **"As I say, even if You-Know-Who has gone -"**

 **"My dear Professor, surely a sensible person like yourself can call him by his name? I have never seen any reason to be frightened of saying Voldemort's name.**

 **"Everyone knows you're the only one You-Know- oh, all right, Voldemort, was frightened of."**

 **"Voldemort had powers I will never have."**

"Only because he is too noble to use them!" said Remus happily.

 **"Only because you're too - well - noble to use them."**

"you think like McGonagall," Sirius chortled.

 **"It's lucky it's dark. I haven't blushed so much since Madam Pomfrey told me she liked my new earmuffs."**

"Are they flirting!" asked Sirius.

"No, they are not," replied James.

"But prongs," started Remus.

"Please Moony; I won't be able to keep my mind in check with this image in my head," said James with a fake disgusted voice and a dramatic sigh.

"You own one, that's news to me! Congrats mate" Sirius said winking at Remus and they burst out laughing. James smashed a pillow in Sirius's stomach and continued reading,

 **Professor** **McGonagall** **shot a sharp look at Dumbledore and said, "You know what everyone's saying? About what finally stopped him?"**

All boys tensed up, even Snape started paying attention. He was curious to know the reason of his almighty master's downfall. Marauders looked at each other in anticipation and James continued,

 **It seemed that Professor McGonagall had reached the point she was most anxious to discuss. Dumbledore, however, did not answer.**

"is he mad? What is it with old people and keeping suspense?" Snape couldn't stop himself from saying that, earning himself death glares from marauders.

 **"What they're saying," she pressed on, "is that last night Voldemort turned up in Godric's Hollow.**

James went rigid at the mention of Godric's Hollow. He was planning to settle there after graduation. " This can't be good," he thought.

 **He went to find the Potters.**

James felt his friends go motionless beside him, he could feel three pairs of eyes on him. He read on,

 **The rumor is that…**

"what is it mate?"

"James? Prongs?"

"what is wrong?"

James was looking as white as a ghost. He was so still that one could easily assume he was stunned. He was staring at the book with an expression of disbelief, so strong that it was painful to look at his face. Remus and Sirius exchanged glances. Sirius held James by his shoulders and Remus tried to grab the book out of his hand but he didn't let go.

"Snap out of it Potter and tell us what happened?" snapped Severus, he was anxious about well being of Lily. Both marauders glared at him with silent promises of killing him at the first chance they got.

James raised his face looking like he was about to pass out.

"James please, tell us what happened," pleaded Remus. James read,

 **The rumor is that Lily and James Potter are - are - that they're - dead. "**

 **Dumbledore bowed his head. Professor McGonagall gasped.**

Marauders didn't know what to make of this news, whether to be happy for James that he finally ended up with his only love Lily Evans or to be sad about the fact that they died!

Remus was looking pale, his friends were most important part of his life and imagining his life without even one of them was such a painful prospect that he couldn't bring himself to think about it. He was also shocked about Lily. He valued his friendship with Lily as much as marauders. Sirius was beyond himself. James was more close to him than his own brother, if anything happened to him how would he survive.

James was having entirely different thoughts. Of course they all were planning to join the war against Lord Voldemort after completing graduation. But none of them knew how serious it actually was. His would be wife, Lily, his lily flower was dead but how and why? He needed to know and he needed to prevent that from happening. He looked at the ceiling and swore to whoever God was listening that he won't let this happen. He swore that he will protect his wife and their unborn child at any cost.

On the other hand Snape was so shocked that he was still alive after listening to the news of Lily's death. He was expecting a brain hemorrhage or a heart attack to come and relieve him from his mental pain of enduring the news of crashing of his world. He was still trying to get the hold of his senses when a distant voice came in his ears.

"Let's figure out how that happened!" said James in a weak but determined voice.

Remaining Marauders agreed, now it was more important for them to find it out.

 **"Lily and James... I can't believe it... Oh, Albus..."**

 **Dumbledore reached out and patted her on the shoulder. "I know... I know..." he said heavily.**

Remus and Sirius looked at each other sadly. Though McGonagall would never admit that but she adored James like her own son. The news of his death must be as hard for her as it was for them.

 **Professor** **McGonagall's voice trembled as she went on. "That's not all. They're saying he tried to kill the Potter's son, Harry.**

James was shivering with both anger and fear to read about his son. Remus patted his back slightly to encourage him and Sirius put a reassuring arm around his shoulders.

 **But – he couldn't. when he couldn't kill Harry Potter, Voldemort's power somehow broke - and that's why he's gone.**

 **Dumbledore nodded glumly.**

"What!" exclaimed everyone. This sentence seemed to bring Snape back to his senses.

"How did he do that?" asked James staring at book like he was expecting an answer.

"Did I ever tell you that I am already naming your kid as 5th marauder, " said Sirius with an expression of utmost sincerity and respect and finally managing to bring a small smile back his best mate's face.

 **"It's - it's true? After all he's done... he couldn't kill a little boy? It's just astounding... but how in the name of heaven did Harry survive?"**

"It's about time someone answer that question," said James.

 **"We can only guess," said Dumbledore. "We may never know."**

James was looking on the verge of explosion. "It means he knows but he won't tell " he growled.

"I wonder how killing curse failed, there is no possible way to do so, but then I can't be certain Voldemort used killing curse." Remus was talking to himself.

"Hey moony, there is smoke coming out of your ears, stop thinking so hard," said Sirius, his voice laced with concern. Remus ignored him to the best of his capacity.

"This is like breaking every single rule of universe, first we get to know about future now we encounter a case of failed killing curse, first of its kind," muttered Snape, looking at Remus, equally puzzled, Remus nodded in understanding.

"Not to mention the fact that you ended up getting married with Evans, no offense mate but she hates you like we hate Snivellus here," amused Sirius, Snape scowled. Remus rolled his eyes but secretly he agreed with Sirius, Lily hated James to no end, how James managed to win her heart was beyond him.

James was thinking exactly same thing. He loved Lily madly and knew that he won't be able to love anyone the way he loved her, there was no doubt about it. But getting married with her and having kids was something he never gave thought of, now that he thought about this, it all seemed too natural like it was bound to happen.

"Maybe she fell over and hit her head hard," Sirius was finding this situation extremely hilarious. James ignored him. He had learnt to ignore his friends long ago when it came to Lily.

 **Professor** **McGonagall** **pulled out a lace handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes beneath her spectacles. Dumbledore said, "Hagrid's late. I suppose it was he who told you I'd be here, by the way?"**

"he invited Hagrid in muggle London?" Remus was looking like he would throw up.

"He must be off his rocker!" Even Sirius knew the absurdity of this situation.

 **"Yes," said Professor McGonagall. "And why you're here, of all places?"**

"Yeah, even I would love to have an explanation," James said in a nervous tone. He could sense this was not going to be pleasant.

 **"I've come to bring Harry to his aunt and uncle. They're the only family he has left now."**

"NO!" yelled James on the top of his lungs. "Why on the name of Merlin is he leaving my son with those nuts!"

Sirius was outraged, "This is life sentence, Harry can't live with these jerks!"

"This is insane. So what if Lily and I are both dead, you and Remus can take care of Harry, he can live with you, can he?" asked James suddenly feeling unsure.

"Of course he can, we don't need to discuss about it, he will live with his almost uncle as long as he wants," said Sirius with a note of finality.

Snape was finding this situation very unsettling. "what are you playing at headmaster," he murmured.

 **"You can't mean the people who live here?" cried Professor McGonagall, jumping to her feet and pointing at number four. "Dumbledore - you can't.**

"Listen to her Dumbledore, she is one smart woman," Remus was chewing his nails in tension.

 **You couldn't find two people who are less like us. And they've got this son - I saw him kicking his mother all the way up the street, screaming for sweets.**

"I will hex my kid into next century if he ever tried to kick his mother," said Remus. He looked so dangerous that nobody dared saying anything to him.

 **Harry** **Potter** **come and live here!"**

"Exactly my point, he is my son, he is royalty!" said James. Sirius gave him don't-start-this-again look. Snape nearly rolled his eyes, "And they wonder why I hate them" he thought.

 **"It's the best place for him," said Dumbledore firmly. "I've written them a letter."**

"A letter," repeated Remus faintly. James was shaking with anger and Sirius was glaring at book like it said something very offensive to him.

 **"A letter?" repeated Professor McGonagall faintly, sitting back down on the wall. "Really, Dumbledore? These people will never understand him! He'll be famous – a legend - there will be books written about Harry - every child in our world will know his name!"**

And to everyone's surprise James was not at all looking excited with this news. By this point even Snape was beginning to feel bad for Potter kid. He knew Petunia Evans better then all of them and he knew what was coming for young Harry. He just didn't understand why Dumbledore was being so blind with this entire situation.

 **"Exactly," said Dumbledore, looking very seriously over the top of his half-moon glasses. "It would be enough to turn any boy's head."**

"But this is pointless," reasoned Sirius, "He is a Potter and to be precise he is part James; he is born with an inflated head! So, why all this trouble? "

James looked at Sirius with such murderous expression so as to say if looks could kill  
Padfoot, you would have been dead three times by now.

 **Professor** **McGonagall** **opened her mouth, changed her mind, and then said, "Yes - yes, you're right. But how is the boy getting here, Dumbledore?" She eyed his cloak suddenly as though she thought he might be hiding Harry underneath it.**

"you better not travel with my son hiding under your cloak," James barked at book. Remus shook his head and said,

"James, you do realize that's not possible, don't you?"

"I don't trust him anymore," replied James flatly.

 **"Hagrid's bringing him."**

 **"You think it - wise - to trust Hagrid with something as important as this?"**

"I would trust him with my life" muttered Sirius.

 **I would trust Hagrid with my life," said Dumbledore.**

"From now on, I won't trust you even with my owl let alone my son!" James was so angry that it was a miracle that he could talk at all.

 **"I'm not saying his heart isn't in the right place," said Professor McGonagall grudgingly, "but you can't pretend he's not careless - what was that?"**

"What was what?"

 **A low rumbling sound had broken the silence around them – and a huge motorcycle fell out of the air and landed on the road in front of them.**

"What have they done to statute of secrecy!" Remus looked like he was about to cry.

"A flying motorcycle…" Sirius and James exchanged knowing glances. Snape was looking at these two with narrowed eyes.

 **If the motorcycle was huge, it was nothing to the man sitting astride it. He was almost twice as tall as a normal man. He looked simply too big to be allowed – long tangles of bushy black hair and beard hid most of his face, he had hands the size of trash can lids. In his vast, muscular arms he was holding a bundle of blankets.**

"Hagrid brought my son on a flying motorcycle and Dumbledore and McGonagall allowed him to do so, I am so going to have a word with these two about rules and regulations," James was looking ready to murder.

 **"Hagrid," said Dumbledore, sounding relieved. "At last. And where did you get that motorcycle?"**

"Now you are asking him!"

 **"Borrowed it, Professor Dumbledore, sir," said the giant "Young Sirius Black lent it to me. I've got him, sir."**

Suddenly Sirius felt three pair of eyes boring into him.

"Would young Sirius Black like to explain exactly what he was doing with a flying motorcycle?" asked Remus in a very calm voice.

"I was planning to make one, after graduation," replied Sirius sheepishly.

"Sirius you know that you are not allowed to put enchantments on muggle artifacts let alone use one to fly across country." Remus said in an exasperated voice. "I should have known" he thought.

"I wasn't planning to use it so publically, I don't know what I was thinking when I lent it to Hagrid," Sirius was genuinely confused.

"It means you were there when I died!" James tried to reason. Sirius flinched at his words.

"Looks like I was," he replied in a small voice.

"But then why did you not take harry with you?" Remus was completely at loss with this situation.

"Nice question, I will let you know when I will figure it out," he replied.

 **"No problems, were there?"**

"Nah. Poor kid is just about to be murdered and now is an orphan. Not to forget that he will be living with gits from now on, i don't count that as problem." Sirius replied sarcastically.

 **"No, sir - house was almost destroyed, but I got him out all right before the Muggles started swarmin' around."**

 **Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall bent forward over the bundle of blankets. Inside, just visible, was a baby boy, fast asleep. Under a tuft of jet-black hair over his forehead they could see a curiously shaped cut, like a bolt of lightning.**

"Bolt of lightning!"

"what do you think about it?" Remus was, to everyone's surprise, asking Snape.

"This is curious, I have never heard about anything like that, but I have never heard about failed killing curse either," Snape was as clueless about this as they were.

 **"Is that where -?" whispered Professor McGonagall.**

 **"Yes," said Dumbledore. "Well - give him here, Hagrid"**

 **Dumbledore took Harry in his arms and turned toward the Dursleys' house.**

"Don't do this professor, please…" James was practically pleading to the book.

 **Suddenly, Hagrid let out a howl like a wounded dog.**

 **"** Hey! I resent that comment." Sirius whined and James shot him a warning look nodding in direction of Snape.

 **"Shhh!" hissed Professor McGonagall, "you'll wake the Muggles!"**

"I am beginning to like this woman more and more with every passing minute," huffed Sirius.

 **"S-s-sorry," sobbed Hagrid, "But I c-c-can't stand it - Lily an' James dead - an' poor little Harry off ter live with Muggles -"**

James felt his insides turning ice as he once again heard about Lily's death. Snape lost whatever color was left in his face at this reminder.

 **"Yes, yes, it's all very sad, but get a grip on yourself, Hagrid, or we'll be found," Professor McGonagall whispered. Dumbledore stepped over the low garden wall and walked to the front door. He laid Harry gently on the doorstep, took a letter out of his cloak, tucked it inside Harry's blankets, and then came back to the other two. For a full minute the three of them stood and looked at the little bundle.**

 **"Well," said Dumbledore finally, "that's that. We've no business staying here. We may as well go and join the celebrations."**

"He is leaving my son on somebody's bloody doorstep and talking about joining some fucking celebration!" James was beyond himself with anger. Remus and Sirius were having hard time not bursting out of the door and killing the old headmaster themselves. Snape was shocked. He always thought of Dumbledore as someone who took care of everyone, but this was beyond his understanding. "You better have a nice explanation for what you did Dumbledore, Potter is not going to take it lightly," he thought.

 **"Yeah," said Hagrid in a very muffled voice, "I'll be takin' Sirius his bike back. G'night, Professor McGonagall - Professor Dumbledore, sir."**

"Don't leave him there, he is just a kid for heaven's sake," James was begging feeling so helpless that it hurt him.

 **"Good luck, Harry," he murmured. He turned on his heel and with a swish of his cloak, he was gone.**

"Good luck, Harry!" Sirius repeated faintly, his voice sounding hollow.

"That's the end of chapter," James told them.


	3. Nervous Breakdown

**A/N: THANKS EVERYONE FOR YOUR REVIEWS. THE ENTIRE PLOT AND EVERY CHARACTER BELONGS TO ONE AND ONLY J. K. ROWLING. I AM NOT MAKING ANY PROFIT WITH THIS STORY. PLEASE KEEP READING AND KEEP REVIEWING.**

They sat there in silence for few minutes, trying to process what they read. It was a gloomy future, at least for them.

"They left my son on the doorstep with a letter." finally James managed to croak. Remus and Sirius looked at him helplessly.

"He could have gotten cold or he could have fallen off the doorstep or some stray dog might have tried to hurt him..." James chocked at the mental image.

"I think we should stop reading for today." suggested Remus. Sirius was more than happy to comply.

"We need to figure out what happened," said James weakly.

"We can do it tomorrow, besides Wormtail would be coming back from his detention and we don't want him to find this out," reasoned Sirius. Remus stared at him open mouthed.

"What! The letter said not to tell him." defended Sirius.

"No, it was just so responsible of you that i couldn't believe." chuckled Remus, Sirius hit him in the stomach with his elbow. Finally James managed to give them a weak smile.

"I think we should come back here tomorrow at 7, if it's okay with everyone." suggested Remus, mainly looking at Snape. Snape looked at them and shooting one last dirty scowl at them turned around and walked out of the room. They took it as an affirmation.

Leaving the book on table top, they walked out of the room and were surprised to see that tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy was back in place and hidden door was nowhere to be seen. They walked back to their common room in complete silence. When they entered their dormitory they saw Wormtail was already there snoring heavily on his bed. They changed into nightclothes and jumped on their beds, James drew curtains around his bed; after few minutes Sirius said in a low voice,

"Why do you think Snape is an important part of this story?"

"I think we will come to know tomorrow." replied Remus.

Sirius and Remus drifted off to sleep after another hour or two but James was not in the condition to sleep at all. He was thinking about the things he read, about his future, his wife, his unborn son. There were so many questions in his head, he felt like his head will burst. After around 2 in morning he gave up on the idea of sleep, he stepped out of bed took his cloak of invisibility out of his trunk and walked out. Sirius noticed him walking out of dorm room but after a second thought he resisted his urge to follow him out.

He sat on the shore of lake, his favorite spot to spend time with his friends. He sat there for hours trying to make peace with everything he read and when it was 5 in the morning he walked back to his dorm room. While getting ready for the day ahead he thought, "this is going to be a long day."

At usual breakfast time all marauders came to great hall. James was looking sick. His eyes were swollen and his skin was looking rather pale. He looked like a bad case of flu. All of them started eating absent mindedly. James was rather stabbing his food then eating it. Peter looked at him nervously and asked, "Where were you all yesterday?"

"Kitchen," replied Remus almost too instantly and then added,

"You know usual snacks and hot chocolate."

"Oh! And what happened to our start of term prank?" peter asked and immediately regretted it as James gave him a murderous glare.

"You look sick Prongs." Peter told him rather bravely.

James stood abruptly, grabbed a piece of toast and started walking out of the great hall,

"I will see you in charms," he told his friends. They exchanged looks and started eating again.

"What is wrong with him?" asked Peter after few minutes.

"I think he proposed Evans, again." said Sirius after suppressing his urge to yell, "He and his bloody wife died yesterday!"

"Oh! That explains a lot." said Peter understanding dawning on his face. Sirius felt guilty about lying to his friend but there was no other option.

They reached for their first class and before two minutes of starting of class James entered and took his usual seat beside Sirius.

"Mate, you alright?" asked Sirius in hushed voice.

James simply nodded his head in consent.

Professor Flitwick was teaching them aguamenti charm today. When he told them theoretical concept and then asked them to produce sprinkles of water from their wand, Sirius performed the charm so carelessly that he ended up producing downpour of water like a waterfall and drenched poor Flitwick.

"Ten points from Gryffindor," squeaked little professor and Sirius apologized profusely for his mistake leaving other students in stitches of laughter.

After charms they went for transfiguration, forte of James, but today even transfiguration couldn't bring him out of his grumpy mood. He was looking so sullen that professor McGonagall couldn't help herself and asked him,

"Are you alright Mr. Potter?" entire class turned towards James; he nodded his head and said curtly,

"I am fine, thank you!"

"Very well. Then go ahead and tell the general exceptions to transfigure furniture into animals, I told five minutes ago" she asked.

"I- I don't know professor" he replied barely looking at her. Some of students looked at him with utter surprise, James Potter not paying attention in transfiguration, that was a first.

"In that case five points from Gryffindor for your lack of attention."

That did it. He couldn't help himself,

"I wonder how many points Gryffindor will lose if I happen to ride a flying motorcycle over muggle London," he said throwing his hands up in the air with exasperation.

Remus blanched and Sirius looked like someone just force-fed him tarantula. Peter along with other students and professor McGonagall looked at James as if he had lost his marbles.

"What does that supposed to mean, Mr. Potter?" asked McGonagall and when he didn't reply she said, "Mr. Black accompany Mr. Potter to hospital wing and ask madam Pomfrey to give him calming draught and Mr. Potter I want to see you in my office right after classes, is that clear?" she asked. James nodded and walked out of the class closely followed by Sirius.

Once they were out of earshot of everyone Sirius held James by his arm and said,

"What was that Prongs? You yelled at McGonagall!"

"Leave me alone for some time." said James a pleading note in his voice.

Sirius complied half heartedly. He knew his friend very well, he knew when James really wanted to be left alone and this was one of those times.

James promised to meet him and other marauders at lunch.

Things were not very bright at lunch table. By this time entire school knew about James talking back to McGonagall in transfiguration classroom. James sat beside Remus, Sirius sitting at the other side of Remus and Peter sitting across them.

James sat down pressing his temples and closing his eyes meanwhile Sirius loaded his plate with food.

"I don't want to eat Padfoot," he said weakly. Sirius pretended not to hear.

James opened his eyes and the first thing he noticed was Lily Evans looking at him with an expression of anger mixed with concern. At her concerned gaze his stomach clenched in places he didn't even know existed. She tore her gaze away from him after a moment and continued chatting to her friends.

James tried to eat something without even noticing what it was.

"James…" came Remus's voice "what are you going to say to McGonagall after classes?"

"I am going to tell her what a hypocrite she is." said James, his temper rising again as he remembered the incident.

"You will land yourself in detention." Sirius reminded him.

"Does that matter?" James retorted darkly.

"James you can't rebel against professors like that." Remus said, his voice strained.

"Watch me." said James, a mad glint shone in his eyes.

"You won't do anything stupid Prongs." Remus said in an almost cracked voice.

"THEY LEFT A YEAR OLD KID ON SOMEBODY'S BLOODY DOORSTEP LUPIN. THAT'S HOW I DEFINE STUPID." James bellowed, making few first years jump from their seats in fear, and stood so fast that he sent his plate flying on the floor. His yelling and loud clattering of silver on floor was enough to draw the attention of entire school on three of them. Peter was looking at his friends stunned and so was rest of the school. No one could believe what they were seeing. James Potter standing in low crouch, ready to attack. His wand pointed at Remus Lupin who was backing away fearing from James as no one knew what he was capable of doing in his rage and Sirius Black pointing his wand at James so as to protect Remus from wrath of James.

"Lower your wand James!" Sirius said calmly. James didn't even move a muscle.

"I said lower your wand. Now!" bellowed Sirius in a ferocious voice, his calm and cool demeanor faltering.

James stared at his friend for a moment, lowered his wand and started walking out of great hall. Sirius and Remus followed him. Everyone cleared the coast for James as he looked like he would use cruciatus curse on the first person who stopped him. Lily was watching the entire drama with disbelief. She had never seen James this much angry before. In fact, she had never seen James angry at all and Merlin, he looked scary when he was angry.

"Potter!" yelled someone from Slytherin table and everyone stared wide eyed as Severus Snape rushed towards James Potter signaling Remus and Sirius to stop following him.

"Snape is trying to commit suicide, right?" asked a 5th year Hufflepuff to her friend.

Some Gryffindors were about to become faint when they saw that marauders actually listened to Snape and stopped following James.

Snape caught James on the door of great hall after making sure that they were out of earshot of everyone Snape hissed at James,

"What do you think you are doing Potter?"

"Why do you think it's any of your business Snivellus," James hissed back, raising his wand. Snape raised his own wand and said,

"Look Potter I know this is too much to take, knowing something like that about your son and wife..." each word was causing him unbearable pain,

"You have already drawn attention of entire school on yourself and you are yelling openly about a kid who is not even supposed to be born yet." James took a step towards Snape ready to hex him but Snape stood firm on his ground. He continued,

"There is a very thin line between anger and stupidity and you are walking on that line right now, I don't know what you are planning to do with this situation but I certainly am not going to let you ruin our only chance to fix future. Get a grip on your temper if you don't want to witness Lily dying." With that Snape walked away, back to his table leaving a stunned James standing on the door of great hall his wand still raised, he looked like Snape cursed him in oblivion. Slowly he turned, his eyes searching Lily in the crowd. He met her eyes. His hazel holding her emerald for a moment and then walked back to his friends. He needed to eat after all it would take every bit of his energy to protect his family and as for right now to protect himself from McGonagall .

"Did u see what I saw?" asked Marlene McKinnon to her friends expecting someone would say no, but they all were as shocked as she was by the scene that unfolded itself today. Alice Fartescque, Marlene McKinnon, Mary Macdonald and Lily Evans were very close friends and right now they were peaking glances at James like many others, expecting him to explode at any moment. But he behaved afterwards. After few tense minutes, Peter whispered to Remus,

"He is taking Evans pretty badly this time, isn't he?"

"You have no idea Peter." Remus whispered back understanding well what was upsetting James so much.

In their hustle and bustle of reading the book marauders nearly forgot that it was full moon tonight. A sharp pain in backbone reminded Remus what day it was as he informed others they quickly adjusted their plan. Wormtail wouldn't be able to join them as he would be serving detention and there was a very strong chance that James wouldn't be able to make it there too, not after the racket he created today. So they decided to let Remus go with Sirius and hoped that McGonagall won't take it too harsh on James so he would be able to join them.

James reassured Remus to inform Snape about their change of plans during potions class as they could not let Wormtail know about this.

After lunch they had double potions. There were very few students in this class. Remus, Sirius, James, Lily, Alice, Severus, Frank Longbottom, one student from Hufflepuff and three from Ravenclaw. There was certainly improvement in situation as compared to morning, though James was not back to his cheerful self yet, he was not grumpy irritated James they saw in the transfiguration class. He was quite but at least not angry. When class ended James approached Severus and in a hushed voice informed him about changes in today's plan. Snape nodded and walked out of the class and then marauders walked out also, leaving a shock struck Lily behind. "There must be something wrong in universe. Not only Potter and Sev talked to each other two times in a day but they also managed to control themselves from hexing each other." She thought. Grabbing her bag she walked out of the dungeons, she needed air.

On the other hand James was faced with another dilemma. How was he going to explain his little outburst to McGonagall?

He walked in her office. Professor beckoned him to sit on the chair in front of desk.

"So Mr. Potter…" she began.

"Professor…" he interrupted

"… I am really sorry about the incident in class and the one in great hall also. I was upset about something, Er.., something personal and took it out on other people, it was absolutely wrong of me to do so. Please forgive me!" he hung his head as guilt filled his insides. He yelled at his friends knowing that they were just trying to help him. He made a mental note to apologize later.

"Hmm…, I can see you were upset, everyone could see you were upset. You made a pretty public show of your emotions."

James could feel his face burning with shame, he could take detention, he could take her scolding after all he was used to it but pointing out his weakness was shameful for him.

"Have a biscuit Potter!" she said

"What!" he was certain he misheard.

"I said have a biscuit," she was pointing towards a jar of biscuits on her desk.

He eyed the jar his eyebrows raised in suspicion.

"Don't worry Potter, use of veritaserum on students is strictly prohibited at Hogwarts," she said sensing his discomfort.

He looked at her, shrugged his shoulders and took a biscuit finishing it in only two bites.

"Take another,"

He took another this time munching slowly,

"Is there anything I can do to help you with whatever is making you so upset Mr. Potter?" she asked her eyes looking unusually kind. He couldn't believe his ears, God, he wanted to tell her. More than that he wanted to make her promise him that she won't leave his baby boy on the doorsteps of that fat git. For the first time in Merlin knows how many years he felt his throat tighten. He simply shook his head as words had failed him.

She eyed him one more time, her catlike eyes catching every flick of emotion on his face.

"Very well, then you can go and I don't want a repeat telecast of today's event and please shut the door behind you," she dismissed him, thinking whether she should have pressed the issue.

His mind was still reeling with what happened in McGonagall's office. He ran towards common room hoping to find comfort there. He reached common room to see his friends sprawled across various couches. At exactly 6 in evening James, Remus and Sirius left dorm leaving Wormtail alone for he had detention to serve.

It was a regular full moon like always; Remus transformed so did his friends.

In Gryffindor girl's dormitory Lily Evans was trying hard to focus on her homework, but she was very distracted tonight. Images of today's event were swirling in her head. She couldn't bring herself to work on her charms essay. Every time she looked in her book all that she could see was an angry face, distorted features and pain clear as crystal. She found herself unable to shake the image of James Potter out of her mind.

She decided that tonight it was out of her capacity to continue work. She needed fresh air. A part of her wanted to go outside the castle and have a nighttime stroll another part was telling that she should not go wandering around the castle at such late hour. After all potter and his cronies do such things not responsible Lily Evans. Besides she was a perfect; she was supposed to set a good example for other students. But she was suffocated inside and stupid Potter was creeping inside her mind like devil's snare. So against her better judgment she decided to go outside. If another fellow prefect caught her she would tell them that she was on prefect duty.

So slowly and carefully Lily stepped out of castle, she started walking towards dark forest, she wasn't planning to go wandering inside forest she would just stay on the border. Cold night air actually helped her cleaning her mind. Moon was beautiful tonight, full moon it was. She was gazing moon, her back towards forest, when a funny prickling on the back of her neck told her that she was being watched. She immediately tightened her hold on her wand. While she was still debating to turn or not, she heard a howling not very much far from her and suddenly everything fell in place. Full moon, howling of a wolf. "Remus," she whispered and turned around seeing a gigantic wolf standing in front of her, ready to attack. She staggered backwards as the wolf crouched and as it sprung forward to attack a giant dog came from behind the wolf and jumped on it so as to stop the wolf from attacking Lily. Lily watched the scene horror struck as the wolf tried to get past the dog to finish her. Her common sense was screaming loudly at her to run but her legs were frozen. She wanted to move but couldn't, and to her amazement another beast came out of forest, a huge stag. To be precise, the most beautiful stag that she ever came across. Seeing Lily stag shook its head as if telling her that it was not a safe time to roam about. Stag joined dog and wolf and together they managed to drag wolf back in the forest. As soon as they disappeared around trees, she heard footsteps approaching her and to her absolute shock came out of woods, Sirius Black. She decided she could allow herself to release the breath that she was holding. "Sirius…. Dog…. Remus… stag…. Werewolf," she was not in the state of forming a coherent sentence.

"Alright Lily, its okay. I am here; nobody is going to huty you. Let's take you back to the castle first then we will talk," Sirius said in a soothing voice, his cheek bearing a nasty cut. With a little from Lily and a lot of effort from Sirius they managed to come inside the castle.

"okay, now you tell me, what were you doing outside at this time of night?" asked Sirius in a genuinely concerned voice.

"I was feeling suffocated inside. I thought about walking around just to get fresh air. So I came outside," Lily replied in a guilty voice.

"But that dog Sirius and that huge stag and hang on! What were you doing there?" she asked.

"Let's go back to common room then talk," Lily nodded.

Once they reached common room safely Sirius explained everything about Remus being a werewolf and James, Sirius and peter being illegal animagi to help their friend… he practically begged Lily to keep this a secret and she assured him that she won't tell a soul as she already knew about Remus since 5th year.

"So that dog was.. it was you… and that stag…."

"Yes, it was James!"

"And Peter?"

"He is a rat, but he was not with us tonight as he was stuck in a detention,"

Lily didn't know what she was feeling about this revelation.

"You people became illegal animagi to help Remus, I mean I appreciate the sentiment but you all could have died, or worse you could have been caught, or, or…" she faltered thinking about possibilities.

"Lily…" said Sirius holding her shoulders and staring straight into her eyes,

" Just put Marley, Alice or Mary in place of Remus and think about it. Besides there was no way we were going to miss such wonderful opportunity to roam around after dark. And James would have done it even at the cost of his life. There is nothing he wouldn't do for his friends and family and for people he love." By this point Sirius was staring in her eyes with such intensity that Lily shifted in her seat uncomfortably. She wasn't used to of thinking about James with respect or listening to Sirius talking sense.

"Now I know you have loads of questions but right now I need to go back to Prongs and Moony, don't worry James is perfectly capable of handling Moony himself, I just don't want take the risk…" he added hastily by seeing the expression on Lily's face.

"Go." she told him in a soft voice "James needs your help."

"Good night Lily." he said as he climbed out of the portrait hole.

"Hey Sirius.. wait," Lily suddenly stood up, " Why was he so upset at lunch?"

"Umm—," started Sirius choosing his words with utmost care, "Even James is human, you know, sometimes he has the right to get upset over things, worry about people, stress over situations…" he trailed off.

"I don't understand."

"Let us leave it at that." he said and walked away before she could question him further.

In his haste to go back to his friends Sirius didn't notice that Lily called James by his given name but Lily did notice the difference. Later when she climbed her bed she realized that even after all her efforts she was indeed thinking about James with respect. She was in, due to lack of any other word, awe with what marauders did for their friend. They were true Gryffindors.

Next day was like a nightmare to James. He had two sleepless nights and restless days and now he was looking really sick. His skin was turning to a nasty shade of porridge and his heavy eyelids were drooping close every second. He looked ready to pass out in a moment's notice. But first he needed to make sure that Lily was fine.

He walked where she was sitting and motioned her to join him, she came towards him,

"Look Evans I am sorry about last night…" he started but she raised her finger to shut him up,

"Sirius told me everything, I am so proud of you James Potter." she said with a smile and walked back to her seat to finish her breakfast. James couldn't believe she actually used his given name to address him. He was feeling so peaceful that he could sleep where he was standing.

"No prongs, you are not allowed to sleep here, let's sit down and have breakfast," James nodded to whatever Sirius was saying. Sleepily he asked Sirius,

"How is Moony?"

"Oh! He is great; he said he will join us in afternoon class." Chirped Peter happily applying marmalade on his toast.

"What is the schedule today?" asked James sleepily.

"Double DADA and double transfiguration before lunch," Sirius looked at James worry written clear on his features,

"Mate, you are not going to snap at McGonagall today, are you?"

"I am more worried about sleeping than snapping," mumbled James as he finally decided to sleep over his plate of scrambled eggs.

"He is back!" chuckled Sirius to himself.

When only 10 minutes were left for the class, Peter and Sirius grabbed James by his arm and dragged him to the class.

"Aguamenti," said Sirius with a swish of his wand, splash of water hit James on his face and he woke with a start.

"Thanks mate," he said sarcastically. Sirius bowed gracefully

After DADA James felt like there was nothing left in his body to make him move. He dragged his legs forward and was soon pulled back by Lily,

"Where do you think you are going Potter?" she said with an amused expression on her face.

"Umm- I- greenhouse of course, it's double Herbology Evans, let me go…"

"It's double transfiguration Potter and the classroom is down the corridor so you should go there," she started laughing.

"What are you laughing at?" he said looking slightly offended

"Prongs! Where were you? We are late for transfiguration, come on McGonagall is not at all going to be all sunshine and roses about it," came Sirius and Peter.

"He was trying to go and attend double Herbology," Lily told them.

Sirius shook his head,

" He needs sleep, his antlers are receiving wrong signals about classes," Sirius winked at Lily, she giggled. It was good to be around marauders when they were not being arrogant git, she concluded.

Double transfiguration was normal except that McGonagall kept shooting worried glances towards James and James kept looking like a zombie nonetheless. His eyes were red and his skin seemed determined to lose whatever color it originally possessed. But two lectures passed somehow and by the end they all were assigned with three rolls of parchment about human transfiguration.

When they were walking towards great hall James remembered something, he caught Lily by her wrist,

"What Potter?" she was startled. " Look…" he said urgently, looking around to make sure they were not being overheard

"About last night..."

"Oh God Potter I told you already, I am ok with it…" James cut her off by waving his hands dismissively, "When Remus will meet you today, he will act all guilty and ashamed and will try to convince you that he is a monster and he deserves to be kicked out of school and all that stuff, just deal with him carefully, okay?" he asked staring deep in her eyes. His eyes were demanding. His hazel was questioning her emerald. She nodded… unable to form a coherent reply,

"Great!" he said, relieved, "Now if you would excuse me…" he bowed his head slightly and walked off leaving a slightly dazzled Lily behind.

Lunch today was another quite event except when Remus apologized to Lily. She had to threaten Remus that she will hex him to make him listen to her, after countless apologies and few strained minutes all four marauders and Lily started eating lunch in peace. Alice and Marley were eyeing them suspiciously; it was indeed a strange sight. Lily Evans having lunch with marauders in peace. You don't get to see such things daily.

Something inside Lily Evans was changing without even her realization.


	4. Unexpected guest

A/N: Do i really have to say this story belongs to Rowling. Anyways, please keep reading and keep reviewing :)

Rest of the day passed normally, or at least as normally as it could pass in Hogwarts. Mary MacDonald got herself a bite from venomous tentacula and ended up in hospital wing. Marlene, being her best friend, decided to spend the night with her in hospital wing. Alice was snuggled up on couch in common room with her boyfriend Frank Longbottom. Frank was teaching her potions, she was so bad in potions that she could not even tell the difference between calming draught and skele-gro. Yet she was forced to study potions as it was a mandatory subject in Auror training. And this is what she was planning to do along with Frank after graduation.

Things were normal in boy's dorm also. Remus was busy doing his homework, James was reading a book on advanced transfiguration and Sirius was reading about motorcycles. He was now seriously (no pun intended) planning to work on a flying motorcycle and Peter was whining about transfiguration essay they got in homework today.

At exactly 6:30 Peter left dorm room for detention and after 10 minutes three of them exchanged looks and got up to go to room of requirement.

They reached there with 10 minutes to spare; they settled in couches and started debating about what they might find out today. After 5 minutes, door opened and Snape entered. He sat on his armchair and gave a curt nod to the marauders signaling them to start.

"I will read today," said Remus picking the book from table, nobody countered him. He was not the brightest ray of sunshine after full moon.

 **CHAPTER TWO**

 **THE VANISHING GLASS**

Remus started but was soon interrupted by the sound of opening door. Someone was entering the room. In the blink of an eye all 4 boys got their wands out, forgetting for the moment that their wands were nothing more than drum sticks inside this room, and pointed it on the bewildered face of…

"Lily!" exclaimed James, "What are you doing here?"

They lowered their wands and a shocked Lily strode forward clutching a piece of paper in her hand, "I got this and it said that I should come here and I should not bring anyone with me…" she frowned,

"What are you all doing here?".

She didn't know if she was more shocked about the fact that a letter appeared in her room out of nowhere or by the fact that marauders were present in the same room as Severus and they were not trying to kill each other.

"So…" she continued, when none of them spoke anything,

"Why am I called here? This better not be a prank Potter!" she threatened. She was not in the mood of losing whatever respect she had gained for James recently, because of a prank.

"Can we see the letter?" asked Remus

"Oh yes.. here." she handed him the letter

Remus read it quickly, "Same as ours, signed by T.R. " he informed others.

"Anyone care to explain anything?" asked Lily again, feeling slightly annoyed.

"I think you should take a seat, its rather a long story…" said James pointing towards a comfy cushioned chair. She sat there, hands folded around her chest, waiting for the story to come. James looked around hoping someone else would say something but when nobody spoke he cleared his throat and looked at Lily,

"Look, this might sound crazy but Lily you have got to trust me with it…" he began.

"I trust you…" blurted Lily out without even thinking about it and when she realized she said it aloud her face turned slightly pink.

"Oh… okay, so the thing is the day before yesterday we got a letter same as yours, all four of us." he answered her unspoken question,

"And we were instructed to come here. In this room we found a book about Harry Potter, my future son…" he trailed off

She seemed to lost her ability to speak so she nodded to make him continue,

"We have been given a chance to know the future and change it for good and looks like now you are supposed to join us in our quest too." he finished.

"If it's a story of your future son, why am I here?" she asked, her heart sinking.

'Of course he would get married with someone and have kids, what is it to you!' she chided herself mentally.

"Er— " James was suddenly feeling very uncomfortable.

"He is our son." he finally managed to say.

"Excuse me?" asked Lily.

"He is our son Lily, our kid…" he could feel himself turning red.

She looked at others, hoping someone would deny, but they just nodded their heads solemnly.

"But, no! You were supposed to get over your crush and we were supposed to go our separate ways. How is that I agreed, What was I thinking..." She was babbling to herself. James motioned Remus to handle the situation. Remus walked over to her and started giving her a brief summary of what they read in the book. She was turning to a dangerous white color with every sentence. James never averted his gaze from her face. He took in her every expression in like it was one last time he was seeing it.

"Dumbledore left my boy on the doorstep of my sister…" she trailed off, feeling off balance. Now she understood everything James said yesterday about flying motorcycles and kids.

"James…" she said softly,

"Why were you so upset yesterday?" she asked him as gently as she could thinking that he was upset about his death.

"Well, Dumbledore left my kid on a doorstep just like that and McGonagall let her and they here they talk about rules and everything and, and..." He started babbling and then stopped abruptly,

'What is the point in lying!' he thought. He looked in Lily's eyes, her bright green eyes filled with tears,

"I don't want to lose you, not now, not like that. I am not ready for that." he admitted bluntly to Lily what he couldn't manage to tell his friends.

Lily was stunned; he shook entire school because he was upset about her death.

"In that case, I think we should make sure that never happens," she said in a determined voice looking at everyone as if daring them to challenge her. For a moment her eyes met with a pair of onyx eyes and she remembered that Severus was also present there. He was watching the entire scene in silence, nothing but a cold expression on his bat like features but his insides were churning. He knew he had already lost Lily when he called her 'mudblood' but seeing her drifting away from him would be so painful, he had no idea.

Remus cleared his throat and started reading again,

 **CHAPTER TWO**

 **THE VANISHING GLASS**

 **Nearly ten years had passed since the Dursleys had woken up to find their nephew on the front step. Only the photographs on the mantelpiece really showed how much time had passed. Ten years ago, there had been lots of pictures of what looked like a large pink beach ball wearing different-colored bonnets**

Sirius burst out laughing, "Nice little nephew you have got there," he teased Lily and James.

 **The room held no sign at all that another boy lived in the house, too.**

James stiffened at this news, "Where is Harry?" he wondered aloud.

 **Yet Harry Potter was still there,**

Lily released a breath she didn't know she was holding.

 **asleep at the moment, but not for long. His Aunt Petunia was awake and it was her shrill voice that made the first noise of the day.**

"I see, her voice hasn't improved much over years," said Lily bitterly, making Sirius snicker.

 **"Up! Get up! Now!"**

"Why is she talking to my son like she is talking to a servant and mind you, my mom will ground me forever if I ever talked to a servant like this." James was already feeling irritated with Harry's aunt.

 **Harry** **woke with a start. "Up!" she screeched. Harry heard her walking toward the kitchen and then the sound of the frying pan being put on the stove.**

"Why his room is so much near the kitchen?" asked Sirius somewhat confused.

 **He rolled onto his back and tried to remember the dream he had been having. There had been a flying motorcycle in it.**

"He remembers that!" said Remus, surprised.

Lily and James looked at each other.

 **He had a funny feeling he'd had the same dream before. His aunt was back outside the door.**

 **"Are you up yet?"**

 **"Nearly,"**

 **"Well, get a move on, I want you to look after the bacon. And don't you dare let it burn, I want everything perfect on Duddy's birthday."**

"How dare she ask my 11 year old baby go near stove," thundered Lily.

James was so angry he couldn't say anything. Sirius and Remus were looking mortally offended. Snape was having a deadly feeling about what Lily would do to her sister after finishing this book.

 **Harry** **got slowly out of bed and started looking for socks. He found a pair under his bed and, after pulling a spider off one of them, put them on. Harry was used to spiders, because the cupboard under the stairs was full of them, and that was where he slept.**

Remus shut the book abruptly, he was looking scandalized. James jumped up and started pacing in the room, pressing his temple with his hands in order to prevent his head from explosion. Sirius was looking at the book like it just spat on his face. Sirius used to think that he had the worst childhood any kid could ever had but even he had his own room with a king size four poster bed. Lily was shaking with anger and even Snape was stunned. Keeping a child in a cupboard was downright cruel according to him.

"A Potter…" James burst,

"A potter is sleeping in a cupboard, like a ghoul…" he was tomato red with anger,

"Even my house elf has got a room of her own…" he yelled.

"Read…" he instructed Remus after a second

 **The table was almost hidden beneath all Dudley's birthday presents. It looked as though Dudley had gotten the racing bike. Exactly why Dudley wanted a racing bike was a mystery to Harry, as Dudley hated exercise - unless of course it involved punching somebody. Dudley's favorite punching bag was Harry,**

James literally winced at this. "He is a bloody bully." roared James.

"This is how it feels…" said Severus in a calm voice, "Being bullied, you know. "

James blanched at this. Of course he bullied Snape at every possible occasion and now since his own son was being bullied, he was feeling offended.

Lily eyed Severus warily, she felt bad for him but she was not in her best mood to talk to him right now.

 **Perhaps it had something to do with living in a dark cupboard, but Harry had always been small and skinny for his age.**

"He is a midget like you, Prongs," Sirius almost giggled.

" I am not a midget," James shot a dirty look at him.

" You were when you were 11," joined Remus.

Even Lily giggled at this, remembering 11 year old James, James scoffed.

 **He looked even smaller and skinnier than he really was because all he had to wear were old clothes of Dudley's, and Dudley was about four times bigger than he was.**

James was practically in tears now, he always wore designer robes and costly clothes; Lily, on the other hand, was quite modest about clothing but even she always wore nice clothes, nothing second hand.

 **Harry had a thin face, knobbly knees, black hair, and bright green eyes.**

"Oh! Looks like baby Prongs has got Lily's eyes," said Sirius and James winked at him shamelessly. Lily blushed at this comment, her cheeks attaining pink tinge.

 **He wore round glasses held together with a lot of Scotch tape because of all the times Dudley had punched him on the nose.**

"Poor kid has got your eyesight, Prongs," said Remus

"It's a family curse, what can I do about it!" shrugged James

 **The only thing Harry liked about his own appearance was a very thin scar on his forehead that was shaped like a bolt of lightning. He had had it as long as he could remember, and the first question he could ever remember asking his Aunt Petunia was how he had gotten it.**

"Uh-oh," said Lily in an alarmed voice, "Not a good thing to do Harry!"

"Why not?" demanded James, clearly confused.

"Petunia hates questions," she replied, James made a face at that.

 **"In the car crash when your parents died," she had said.**

"Car crash," roared Sirius, he grabbed his wand and started shooting stunning spells in every direction without even realizing that his wand was not working.

Lily was turning a dangerous shade of red and now it was James's turn to look scandalized. Remus looked like somebody just told him it was full moon tonight.

"These are awful people, no offense Lily," Remus said hastily realizing that he was talking about her real sister.

"None taken," she dismissed him absently, she was still fuming that her own sister was lying about her death to her only son.

"James?" she asked.

"Yes Lily," he said startled at being addressed by Lily with such passionate voice.

"You do know the nastiest stinging hex, don't you?" she asked in a calm voice.

"Yes I do," he replied almost confused. Even other three boys started paying attention to figure out what she was playing at.

"I would like to introduce you to my elder sister next summer." she gave him a meaningful look.

"It would be an honor for me to meet the lady," he replied in a dangerous voice.

Sirius looked at Remus, grinning broadly.

 **"And don't ask questions."**

Lily rolled her eyes.

 **Uncle Vernon** **entered the kitchen as Harry was turning over the bacon.**

 **"Comb your hair!" he barked.**

 **Harry must have had more haircuts than the rest of the boys in his class put together, but it made no difference, his hair simply grew that way - all over the place.**

"Potter hair," said James, stroking his hair smoothly. Lily and Remus shook their head and Sirius rolled his eyes. Severus was listening quietly; he has resigned to give snide comments and now was listening silently waiting for his part in the story.

 **Harry** **was frying eggs by the time Dudley arrived in the kitchen with his mother.**

"He is not your house elf." growled James again.

 **Dudley** **looked a lot like Uncle Vernon. He had a large pink face, not much neck, small, watery blue eyes, and thick blond hair that lay smoothly on his thick, fat head.**

"Harry doesn't take it easy when it comes to descriptions," Remus chuckled.

"I think he got that from his mum." winked James.

"Nice little pig you have got there Petunia." muttered Lily less liking her nephew with every passing second.

 **Aunt Petunia** **often said that Dudley looked like a baby angel - Harry often said that Dudley looked like a pig in a wig.**

"Your kid is awesome." complimented Sirius.

"He has got my wit." said James.

"He has got Lily's wit." said Remus. James pouted.

"Our combined wit." he finally settled.

 **Harry** **put the plates of egg and bacon on the table. Dudley, meanwhile, was counting his presents.**

 **"Thirty-six," he said, looking up at his mother and father. "That's two less than last year."**

"What! What are they doing with this kid? Even I don't get so many presents," exclaimed James.

 **"Darling, you haven't counted Auntie Marge's present, see, it's here under this big one from Mommy and Daddy."**

 **"All right, thirty-seven then," said Dudley, going red in the face.**

 **Harry, who could see a huge Dudley tantrum coming on, began wolfing down his bacon as fast as possible in case Dudley turned the table over.**

"Nice move Harry." said Sirius nodding his head solemnly.

"Don't choke on food Harry." Lily said in a worried voice.

 **"And we'll buy you another two presents while we're out today. How's that, popkin? ''**

 **Dudley** **thought for a moment. It looked like hard work.**

"It must be… considering the size of his fat skull."

 **Finally he said slowly, "So I'll have thirty ... thirty..."**

"Thirty nine you fat git," cried lily. Everyone jumped at this sound. She was looking dangerous.

 **"Thirty-nine, sweetums," said Aunt Petunia.**

 **"Oh." Dudley sat down heavily. "All right then."**

 **Uncle Vernon** **chuckled. "Little tyke wants his money's worth, just like his father."**

"I would have locked my son in a dungeon for this tantrum," said Sirius and something about his face told them that he meant it.

 **At that moment the telephone rang and Aunt Petunia went to answer it while Harry and Uncle Vernon watched Dudley unwrap the racing bike, a video camera, a remote control airplane, sixteen new computer games, and a VCR.**

"What in the name of Merlin are these things?" asked Sirius looking genuinely curious.

"These are muggle games, children play with these things." Lily said, she was in no mood to give long explanations about muggle gadgets and electricity though she usually enjoyed explaining simple muggle thing to wizards.

 **He was ripping the paper off a gold wristwatch when Aunt Petunia came back from the telephone looking both angry and worried.**

 **"Bad news, Vernon," she said. "Mrs. Figg's broken her leg. She can't take him." She jerked her head in Harry's direction.**

"Take him where?" James was on the edge of his seat.

 **Dudley's mouth fell open in horror, but Harry's heart gave a leap. Every year on Dudley's birthday, his parents took him out for the day. Every year, Harry was left behind with Mrs. Figg, a mad old lady. The whole house smelled of cabbage and Mrs. Figg made him look at photographs of all the cats she'd ever owned.**

"Poor Harry." Now Sirius was as outraged as James was with Dursleys.

 **"Now what?" said Aunt Petunia. Harry knew he ought to feel sorry that Mrs. Figg had broken her leg, but it wasn't easy when he reminded himself it would be a whole year before he had to look at Tibbles, Snowy, Mr. Paws, and Tufty again.**

"Even an old woman has got better imagination than this git Dursley," said James.

"We will consult her next time we would need nicknames," said Remus.

"Why would anyone name their cat as Mr. Paws?" amused Sirius.

"Why would anyone name their dog as Mr. Padfoot?" shot back Lily.

Sirius scoffed at this, Remus laughed out loud and James burst into tears of laughter,

"Harry has got Lily's wit," he admitted chuckling, Lily beamed at him.

Snape looked genuinely confused with their banter but decided to stay silent anyways.

 **"We could phone Marge," Uncle Vernon suggested.**

 **"Don't be silly, Vernon, she hates the boy."**

James shot daggers at the book.

 **The Dursleys often spoke about Harry like this, as though he wasn't there - or rather, as though he was something very nasty that couldn't understand them, like a slug.**

Lily was turning same shade as her hair every minute.

 **"You could just leave me here," Harry put in hopefully.**

"Oh Harry! My boy, you should know better than hoping that," said Remus sadly.

"What do you mean?" snapped James.

"Dursleys are set on making his life hell, they won't leave him at home if it's his idea of fun," said Snape flatly like it was the most obvious thing to understand. Remus nodded in affirmation.

 **Aunt Petunia** **looked as though she'd just swallowed a lemon.**

"I will make sure she experiences that this Christmas," vowed Lily.

 **"And come back and find the house in ruins?" she snarled.**

 **"I won't blow up the house," said Harry, but they weren't listening.**

 **"I suppose we could take him to the zoo," said Aunt Petunia slowly, "... and leave him in the car..."**

 **"That car's new; he's not sitting in it alone..."**

"Your car my foot, you are not leaving my son there locked up and all alone." cried James.

"I would love to see them trying." Lily said calmly.

" they will get arrested by Muggle law enforcement team for child abuse if they even tried." she explained to four confused wizards.

"I still don't want them to leave him like this." James was fuming.

 **Dudley** **began to cry loudly.**

 **"Dinky Duddydums, don't cry, Mummy won't let him spoil your special day!" she cried, flinging her arms around him.**

Lily shook her head in disbelief. She couldn't fathom how Petunia let her son turn into such disaster.

 **Just then, the doorbell rang and a moment later, Dudley's best friend, Piers Polkiss, walked in with his mother. Piers was a scrawny boy with a face like a rat.**

"Oh! We will have to ask Wormy if he has any relative named Polkiss," chimed Sirius

"He says that whenever anyone talks about anything distantly related to rats," James said sensing Lily's confusion.

"Oh!" she rolled her eyes, amused at Sirius.

 **He was usually the one who held people's arms behind their backs while Dudley hit them. Dudley stopped pretending to cry at once.**

"Pretentious little kid you are, are you not?" said Lily in a dangerously honey voice.

 **Half an hour later, Harry, was sitting in the back of the Dursleys' car with Piers and Dudley, on the way to the zoo for the first time in his life.**

"At least he is going to have a bit of fun, the kid deserves it," said Sirius trying to sooth Lily. Lily smiled weakly at Sirius.

 **His aunt and uncle hadn't been able to think of anything else to do with him, but before they'd left, Uncle Vernon had taken Harry aside.**

Lily and James tensed at this and Remus muttered, "uh-oh!"

 **"I'm warning you," he had said, "I'm warning you now, boy - any funny business, anything at all - and you'll be in that cupboard from now until Christmas."**

"If he lays even a hand on my boy, I am going to find him right now and will hex him to act like a chicken," James said looking at Lily as if daring her to challenge him. Lily nodded and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. James relaxed visibly under her touch.

 **"I'm not going to do anything," said Harry, "honestly…**

"They won't believe sweetheart," said Lily, remembering how paranoid petunia was.

 **But Uncle Vernon didn't believe him. No one ever did. The problem was, strange things often happened around Harry and it was just no good telling the Dursleys he didn't make them happen.**

"This should be fun," Sirius said looking excited. James looked at him like he just announced his wedding with giant squid.

"What?" Sirius defended, "we are going to read about his accidental magic, it's always fun."

"My son probably got locked up in a cupboard for that, this is not fun!" James said in a sad voice. Sirius flushed with embarrassment.

 **Once, Aunt Petunia had taken a pair of kitchen scissors and cut his hair so short he was almost bald. Dudley had laughed himself silly at Harry, who spent a sleepless night imagining school the next day. Next morning, however, he had gotten up to find his hair exactly as it had been before Aunt Petunia had sheared it off. He had been given a week in his cupboard for this.**

Lily pursed her lips tightly and James clenched his fists.

 **Another time, Aunt Petunia had been trying to force him into a revolting old sweater of Dudley's (brown with orange puff balls) - The harder she tried to pull it over his head, the smaller it seemed to become, until finally it might have fitted a hand puppet, but certainly wouldn't fit Harry. Aunt Petunia had decided it must have shrunk in the wash and, to his great relief, Harry wasn't punished.**

"At least he didn't get punishment for that," Sirius tried to calm his friends.

 **On the other hand, he'd gotten into terrible trouble for being found on the roof of the school kitchens. Dudley's gang had been chasing him as usual when, as much to Harry's surprise as anyone else's, there he was sitting on the chimney.**

"Are you trying to tell me, he apparated?" asked Lily looking like someone slapped her.

"Without even splinching himself?" continued Remus his mouth hanging open with disbelief.

"At the age of what 6 or probably 7?" filled in Sirius, looking stunned. James didn't know how he was feeling about this. His marauder self was moaning in pure pleasure but his dad self was worried for his son who seemed to possess insane powers. Snape was looking thoughtful.

 **But today, nothing was going to go wrong. It was even worth being with Dudley and Piers to be spending the day somewhere that wasn't school, his cupboard, or Mrs. Figg's cabbage-smelling living room.**

They all smiled, hoping it was true.

 **While he drove, Uncle Vernon complained to Aunt Petunia. He liked to complain about things: people at work, Harry, the council, Harry, the bank, and Harry were just a few of his favorite subjects. This morning, it was motorcycles.**

"Hey, there is nothing wrong with motorcycles," Sirius looked offended.

 **I had a dream about a motorcycle," said Harry, remembering suddenly. "It was flying."**

Lily winced. "not a very smart thing to say son."

 **Uncle Vernon** **nearly crashed into the car in front. He turned right around in his seat and yelled at Harry, his face like a gigantic beet with a mustache: "MOTORCYCLES DON'T FLY!"**

"Paranoid git," murmured James, looking slightly amused despite himself.

 **Harry** **had the best morning he'd had in a long time.**

Lily managed to smile for the first time she entered in this room.

 **They ate in the zoo restaurant, and when Dudley had a tantrum because his knickerbocker glory didn't have enough ice cream on top, Uncle Vernon bought him another one and Harry was allowed to finish the first.**

"This is third time in a day he is throwing tantrums," said Lily.

"When we change the future," started Sirius,

"I am going to buy Harry an ice-cream factory!" a look of determination on his face. James smiled, feeling touched that his friends cared about his son like their own.

"You are not spoiling my son rotten." Lily said in a firm voice but her thankful eyes gave her up.

 **Harry felt, afterward, that he should have known it was all too good to last.**

Remus was dreading to read what was coming but he continued anyways.

 **After lunch they went to the reptile house. Dudley and Piers wanted to see huge, poisonous cobras and thick, man-crushing pythons.**

All of them rolled their eyes at this. Snape was trying to remember the best body binding curse he ever heard about, just in case he happens to meet this boy in future.

 **Dudley** **quickly found the largest snake in the place. It could have wrapped its body twice around Uncle Vernon's car and crushed it into a trash can**

"Is it too much to hope that it would do that," asked Sirius hopefully.

 **\- but at the moment it didn't look in the mood.**

"I think so," said James, disappointed.

 **"Make it move," he whined at his father. Uncle Vernon tapped on the glass, but the snake didn't budge.**

 **"Do it again," Dudley ordered. Uncle Vernon rapped the glass smartly with his knuckles, but the snake just snoozed on.**

"This kid needs a lesson about manners," said James with gritted teeth. No matter how arrogant people thought he was, he never spoke to elders badly.

 **"This is boring," Dudley moaned. He shuffled away.**

 **Harry** **moved in front of the tank and looked intently at the snake. It was worse than having a cupboard as a bedroom, where the only visitor was Aunt Petunia hammering on the door to wake you up; at least he got to visit the rest of the house.**

"He is comparing his life with a snake." Sirius was on the verge of explosion.

"I am going to put those Dursleys in that cupboard for a solid one year to let them know how it feels," he was livid with anger.

"I am right beside you," Remus was losing his calm demeanor.

 **The snake suddenly opened its beady eyes. Slowly, it raised its head until its eyes were on a level with Harry's.**

 **It winked.**

"Excuse me?" Snape was incredulous. "Snakes don't blink."

"This is what it says," Remus defended.

 **Harry** **stared. Then he looked quickly around to see if anyone was watching. They weren't. He looked back at the snake and winked, too.**

"On the name of Merlin, he is befriending a snake, what is wrong with him," James was paled.

 **The snake jerked its head toward Uncle Vernon and Dudley, and then raised its eyes to the ceiling. It gave Harry a look that said quite plainly:**

 **"I get that all the time.**

 **"I know," Harry murmured through the glass, though he wasn't sure the snake could hear him. "It must be really annoying."**

 **The snake nodded vigorously.**

"Your son is a parslemouth!" Snape said almost accusingly to James.

"He is what?" Lily looked confused.

"He can talk to snakes." explained James pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Is that a bad thing?" she asked again.

"Salazar Slytherin could do that," provided Sirius. His entire family preached Salazar Slytherin.

"So can Dark Lord," muttered Snape.

"What?" all four of them shouted. Snape shrugged.

 **"Where do you come from, anyway?" Harry asked.**

 **The snake jabbed its tail at a little sign next to the glass. Harry peered at it.**

 **Boa Constrictor, Brazil.**

 **"Was it nice there?"**

 **The boa constrictor jabbed its tail at the sign again and Harry read on:**

 **This specimen was bred in the zoo. "Oh, I see - so you've never been to Brazil?"**

 **As the snake shook its head, a deafening shout behind Harry made both of them jump.**

"Is this book trying to say, Harry jumped along with a snake…" Sirius looked confused.

"Try to understand the metaphor," Lily said, exasperated. She was not entirely sure if she could take this anymore.

 **"DUDLEY! MR. DURSLEY! COME AND LOOK AT THIS SNAKE! YOU WON'T BELIEVE WHAT IT'S DOING!"**

 **Dudley** **came waddling toward them as fast as he could.**

 **"Out of the way, you," he said, punching Harry in the ribs. Caught by surprise, Harry fell hard on the concrete floor.**

"Careful son," Lily was clutching James's robes so tightly that they were about to tear off in pieces, not that James minded.

 **What came next hap pened so fast no one saw how it happened - one second, Piers and Dudley were leaning right up close to the glass, the next, they had leapt back with howls of horror.**

"Get out of the way Harry, now!" exclaimed James

 **Harry** **sat up and gasped; the glass front of the boa constrictor's tank had vanished. Harry could have sworn a low, hissing voice said, "Brazil, here I come... Thanksss, amigo."**

"Correct me if I am wrong, that snake was speaking Spanish," Sirius said in a faint voice.

"Harry! stay away from the snake, stay aside, keep your distance…" James was shouting instructions to the book.

"You can stop over reacting Potter, that snake won't hurt him," Snape hissed.

"And why is that so?" James looked annoyed at being told off by Snape.

"Because…" Snape said in a voice like he was teaching a kindergartener how to add two and two, "… he is a parslemouth, he can control snakes. Besides, that boa constrictor was just freed by him, it probably respects him. "

James was looking disturbed with the news that his son could control snakes.

 **The keeper of the reptile house was in shock.**

 **"But the glass," he kept saying, "where did the glass go?"**

 **But worst of all, for Harry at least, was Piers calming down enough to say, "Harry was talking to it, weren't you, Harry?"**

"Remind me to transfigure that kid in an actual rat when I am off to take revenge from Dursleys," James told Sirius.

 **Uncle Vernon** **waited until Piers was safely out of the house before starting on Harry.**

"You let that walrus touch my son Petunia and I'll show you how freak I can actually be," snarled Lily.

 **He was so angry he could hardly speak. He managed to say, "Go - cupboard - stay - no meals," before he collapsed into a chair and Aunt Petunia had to run and get him a large brandy.**

"He has to die!" Sirius announced. And for the first time nobody told him to shut up.

 **Harry** **lay in his dark cupboard much later, wishing he had a watch. He didn't know what time it was and he couldn't be sure the Dursleys were asleep yet. Until they were, he couldn't risk sneaking to the kitchen for some food.**

"Smart kid," mumbled Sirius to himself, remembering his last few days at his own house.

 **He'd lived with the Dursleys almost ten years, ever since he'd been a baby and his parents had died in that car crash. He couldn't remember being in the car when his parents had died.**

Remus looked painful on behalf of Lily and James.

 **Sometimes, when he strained his memory during long hours in his cupboard, he came up with a strange vision: a blinding flash of green light and a burning pain on his forehead.**

Lily and Remus gasped, James was looking like he just saw a basilisk, Sirius was turning yellow and Snape looked like someone shot him.

"He remembers killing curse." Snape blurted out as soon as he found his voice.

"I don't want my child to live with these memories." Lily started crying, tears rolling down her cheeks. James pulled her in a protective embrace.

"I won't let it happen, I won't," he murmured in Lily's ear, patting her back slowly.

 **This, he supposed, was the crash. He couldn't remember his parents at all. There were no photographs of them in the house.**

"I don't even expect anything better than that from you Petunia," she said, her eyes filling with fresh tears and her heart breaking all over again. James was still holding her tight against his chest, not allowing her to move. He didn't think he would be able to survive what he was reading if continued seeing Lily breaking down like this.

 **When he had been younger, Harry dreamed of some unknown relation coming to take him away, but it had never happened;**

Remus and Sirius exchanged uneasy looks,

Where were they? Even if they died where was Peter? They all can't be dead, can they? This was a horrible prospect but even this was better than knowing that they were alive and were intentionally not trying to make any contact with Harry. If this was the case, Remus preferred to be dead.

 **The Dursleys were his only family. Yet sometimes he thought (or maybe hoped) that strangers in the street seemed to know him. A tiny man in a violet top hat had bowed to him once. A bald man in a very long purple coat had actually shaken his hand in the street the other day. The weirdest thing about all these people was the way they seemed to vanish the second Harry tried to get a closer look.**

"That's the end," Remus informed them closing the book. Finally James let Lily go. He himself was shaking.

"I think this is enough for today, I have prefect duties tonight," Lily said in a low voice.

"Me too." Snape said and without even waiting for an answer walked out of the door, leaving all four of them alone.

Remus, Sirius and Lily stood up too,

"Lily…" James said softly, Remus and Sirius walked out of the room to give them space, Lily turned to him, her eyes brimmed red from all the crying.

"Don't worry Lily, I won't let anyone even touch you till I am alive."

"Maybe this is what you did James," she said, smiling softly, "maybe you actually didn't let anyone touch me till you were alive." James froze at these words.

" I am anyways not upset about my death, I am proud to say that I am going to die fighting Voldemort, I just don't want our kid to suffer through life like this…" she trailed off.

"He won't." vowed James, "Not this time!"


	5. chapter-5

**A/N: THIS STORY AND ITS CHARACTERS BELONG TO ONE AND ONLY J. K. ROWLING. I AM NOT MAKING ANY PROFIT FROM THIS STORY. THIS IS JUST FOR ENTERTAINMENT.**

 **PLEASE KEEP READING AND KEEP REVIEWING :)**

CHAPTER-5 LITTER OF LETTERS

Next day passed in a blur. At 7 they all were gathered at 7th floor in room of requirement.

"I will read today." Sirius said grabbing the book. They settled themselves in various chairs and sofa and Sirius shuffled the pages, then he cleared his throat and started reading,

 **CHAPTER THREE**

 **THE LETTERS FROM NO ONE**

"I think finally Harry is going to get his Hogwarts letter," Remus said brightly. They all agreed. Finally they had something to look forward for.

 **The escape of the Brazilian boa constrictor earned Harry his longest-ever punishment. By the time he was allowed out of his cupboard again, the summer holidays had started.**

 **Harry** **was glad school was over, but there was no escaping Dudley's gang. The rest of them were all quite happy to join in Dudley's favorite sport: Harry Hunting.**

"How about I use Dudley as human Quaffle next time I play Quiditch," said James.

"Brilliant idea, just one problem Prongs, he hasn't born yet," Remus reminded him.

 **When September came he would be going off to secondary school, Stonewall High, the local public school.**

"When September came he would be going off to Hogwarts school of wizardry and witchcraft, the best in the whole world." Sirius announced, everyone smile at his enthusiasm.

 **Dudley** **thought this was very funny.**

 **"They stuff people's heads down the toilet the first day at Stonewall," he told Harry. "Want to come upstairs and practice?"**

 **"No, thanks," said Harry. "The poor toilet's never had anything as horrible as your head down it - it might be sick." Then he ran, before Dudley could work out what he'd said.**

"My kid is fantastic." exclaimed James. Now that Harry was speaking up for himself, he looked pleased.

 **There was a horrible smell in the kitchen the next morning. It seemed to be coming from a large metal tub in the sink. The tub was full of what looked like dirty rags swimming in gray water.**

 **"What's this?"**

 **"Your new school uniform,"**

 **"Oh," he said, "I didn't realize it had to be so wet."**

"She is not the one to understand sarcasm!" Lily sighed.

 **"Don't be stupid," snapped Aunt Petunia.**

 **"I'm dyeing some of Dudley's old things gray for you. It'll look just like everyone else's when I've finished."**

 **Harry** **seriously doubted this. He sat down at the table and tried not to think about how he was going to look on his first day at Stonewall High.**

"He would look absolutely stunning because he will be wearing Hogwarts robes on his first day at school." James informed everyone.

 **They heard the click of the mail slot and flop of letters on the doormat.**

 **"Get the mail, Harry."**

 **Three things lay on the doormat: a postcard from Uncle Vernon's sister Marge, a brown envelope that looked like a bill and - a letter for Harry.**

"Finally!" exclaimed all four Gryffindor together. Snape on the other hand wasn't feeling as optimistic about this as others.

 **Harry** **picked it up and stared at it. No one, ever, in his whole life, had written to him. He had no friends, no other relatives. Yet here it was, a letter, addressed so plainly there could be no mistake:**

 **Mr.** **H. Potter**

 **The Cupboard under the Stairs**

 **4 Privet Drive**

 **Little Whinging**

 **Surrey**

"Dumbledore knew he was sleeping in a cupboard and still he didn't do anything." Sirius roared already feeling protective of this boy.

"Probably not, these letters are addressed by an automated quill." Lily informed him.

 **"Hurry up, boy!" shouted Uncle Vernon from the kitchen. "What are you doing, checking for letter bombs?" He chuckled at his own joke.**

"It was so funny I forgot to laugh," James said sarcastically.

 **Harry** **went back to the kitchen. He handed Uncle Vernon the bill and the postcard and slowly began to open the yellow envelope.**

"Don't be stupid Potter." Snape muttered anxiously.

"Oh-no." exclaimed Lily.

 **"Dad!" said Dudley suddenly. "Dad, Harry's got something!"**

Remus made a noise that resembled a growl.

 **Harry was on the point of unfolding his letter, when it was jerked sharply out of his hand by Uncle Vernon.**

 **"That's mine!" said Harry, trying to snatch it back.**

 **"Who'd be writing to you?" sneered Uncle Vernon, glancing at it.**

"How dare he?" James was again back in his bad mood.

 **"P-P-Petunia!" he gasped.**

 **Aunt Petunia** **read the first line. For a moment it looked as though she might faint. She clutched her throat and made a choking noise.**

 **"Vernon! Oh my goodness - Vernon!"**

"Does she always act like that?" asked James curiously.

"She is definitely a bit of drama queen, but in Harry's case she is over reacting," replied Lily thoughtfully.

 **They stared at each other. Dudley wasn't used to being ignored. He gave his father a sharp tap on the head with his Smelting stick.**

"I am going to chain him down in dungeons as soon as I meet him," Remus was furious.

 **"I want to read that letter," he said loudly.**

 **"** **I want to read it," said Harry furiously, "as it's mine."**

 **"Get out, both of you," croaked Uncle Vernon, stuffing the letter back inside its envelope.**

 **Harry** **didn't move.**

 **I WANT MY LETTER!" he shouted.**

"That's like a true Potter, go Harry," cheered Sirius.

 **"OUT!" roared Uncle Vernon, and he took both Harry and Dudley by the scruffs of their necks and threw them into the hall, slamming the kitchen door behind them.**

"I don't care what he does with that pig, but how dare he touch my son," James was looking mad.

 **Harry, lay flat on his stomach to listen at the crack between door and floor.**

 **"Vernon," Aunt Petunia was saying in a quivering voice, "look at the address - how could they possibly know where he sleeps?"**

 **"Watching - spying - might be following us," muttered Uncle Vernon wildly.**

 **"But what should we do, Vernon?"**

"Just go buy him his school supplies," suggested Sirius.

 **"No," he said finally. "No, we'll ignore it. If they don't get an answer... Yes, that's best... we won't do anything...**

"He really thinks that would stop them," asked Remus incredulously.

 **"But -"**

 **"I'm not having one in the house, Petunia! Didn't we swear when we took him in we'd stamp out that dangerous nonsense?"**

"What does that mean?" Sirius was genuinely confused and so was James. Lily, Remus and Snape eyed each other warily.

"What?" demanded James.

"They think they can turn him in a muggle," finally Snape explained.

"But that's not even possible," said Sirius.

"I know that's not possible Black, but they don't. They think they can force his magic shut inside him." Finished Snape.

"They are going to die," announced James, "You can give me divorce after that if you want to but I am going to kill your sister and her husband,"

"You do realize that I am not your wife, don't you?" asked Lily. Though, she didn't entirely dismiss the idea of killing Petunia and Vernon.

"Forcing magic to shut inside is dangerous, I really hope they won't try. At least not with someone as powerful as Harry seems to be." said Remus.

 **That evening when he got back from work, Uncle Vernon did something he'd never done before; he visited Harry in his cupboard.**

"He not only put my son in a cupboard but also he never even went there to check on him," James chocked.

"Prongs, knowing this Dursley bloke, I think this is too much to ask for," said Sirius in a reasonable voice.

 **"Where's my letter?" said Harry, the moment Uncle Vernon had squeezed through the door. "Who's writing to me?"**

 **"No one. it was addressed to you by mistake,"**

 **"It was not a mistake," said Harry angrily, "it had my cupboard on it."**

"He has got Lily's temper," amused Sirius.

 **"SILENCE!" yelled Uncle Vernon.**

 **"Er - yes, Harry - about this cupboard. Your aunt and I have been thinking... we think it might be nice if you moved into Dudley's second bedroom.**

"That pig of theirs has got two bedrooms and my son is forced to live in a cupboard," Lily was looking really dangerous now.

 **It only took Harry one trip upstairs to move everything he owned from the cupboard to this room. Yesterday he'd have given anything to be up here. Today he'd rather be back in his cupboard with that letter than up here without it.**

"Don't you worry child, you will get your letter soon," Sirius said softly.

 **Next morning at breakfast, everyone was rather quiet. Dudley was in shock. He'd screamed, whacked his father with his Smelting stick, been sick on purpose, kicked his mother, and thrown his tortoise through the greenhouse roof, and he still didn't have his room back.**

"This kid is a nightmare, I can't believe we are related by blood," Lily was horrified.

 **Harry** **was thinking about this time yesterday and bitterly wishing he'd opened the letter in the hall.**

"Now you think that!"

 **Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia kept looking at each other darkly.**

 **When the mail arrived, made Dudley go and get it.**

 **"There's another one! 'Mr. H. Potter, The Smallest Bedroom, 4 Privet Drive -'"**

 **With a strangled cry, Uncle Vernon leapt from his seat and ran down the hall, Harry right behind him.**

 **After a minute of confused fighting, Uncle Vernon straightened up, with Harry's letter clutched in his hand.**

 **"Go to your cupboard - I mean, your bedroom," he wheezed at Harry.**

 **"Dudley - go - just go."**

"Told you they won't give up."

"Yes Sirius you did, thanks for the information."

 **Harry** **walked round and round his new room. Someone knew he had moved out of his cupboard and they seemed to know he hadn't received his first letter. Surely that meant they'd try again? And this time he'd make sure they didn't fail. He had a plan.**

"That better be a good plan son, I don't want to see you in trouble." muttered James.

"Considering the fact that he is your son James, I don't think his plan is going to be reasonable." Sirius chuckled and James pouted.

 **The repaired alarm clock rang at six o'clock the next morning. Harry turned it off quickly.**

 **He was going to wait for the postman on the corner of Privet Drive and get the letters for number four first.**

"It's a decent plan but I don't think, that Dursley bloke would let this happen,"

 **Harry** **leapt into the air; he'd trodden on something big and squashy on the doormat - something alive!**

"oh-no," Lily was on the edge of her sofa with anxiety.

 **Lights clicked on upstairs and to his horror Harry realized that the big, squashy something had been his uncle's face.**

Sirius burst out laughing.

"Your kid is beyond fantastic." he told James.

 **Uncle Vernon** **had been lying at the foot of the front door in a sleeping bag, clearly making sure that Harry didn't do exactly what he'd been trying to do.**

 **Uncle Vernon** **didn't go to work that day. He stayed at home and nailed up the mail slot.**

"Now he is over reacting," said James.

"Oh Prongs! That was the understatement of century," chuckled Remus.

"I want to see how far he can go," snickered Sirius.

 **"See," he explained to Aunt Petunia through a mouthful of nails, "if they can't deliver them they'll just give up."**

"I'm not sure that'll work, Dursley." Said Snape. Lily smiled at this. It was good to see Severus opening up even if the progress was slow.

 **"I'm not sure that'll work, Vernon."**

"Hey Sni- Snape, you think like Petunia." Sirius said and everyone chuckled at Snape's expense.

"Listen to her you git, she knows more about wizards than you," Lily told the book.

 **On Friday, no less than twelve letters arrived for Harry.**

"Dumbledore is doing this on purpose," yelled Sirius bouncing excitedly.

 **Uncle Vernon** **stayed at home again. After burning all the letters, he got out a hammer and nails and boarded up the cracks around the front and back doors so no one could go out.**

"You were saying something about overreaction earlier Potter," sneered Snape.

 **On Saturday, things began to get out of hand. Twenty-four letters to Harry found their way into the house, rolled up and hidden inside each of the two dozen eggs that their very confused milkman had handed Aunt Petunia through the living room window.**

"Confundus charm," Sirius barked out.

 **"Who on earth wants to talk to you this badly?" Dudley asked Harry in amazement.**

They all laughed out at this. Now they were really having fun, seeing Dursleys struggle.

 **On Sunday morning, Uncle Vernon sat down at the breakfast table. Something came whizzing down the kitchen chimney as he spoke and caught him sharply on the back of the head. Next moment, thirty or forty letters came pelting out of the fireplace like bullets. The Dursleys ducked, but Harry leapt into the air trying to catch one.**

"He couldn't manage to get even a single letter, he is lacking marauder spirit," Sirius pouted.

 **"Out! OUT!"**

 **"That does it," said Uncle Vernon, "We're going away. Just pack some clothes. No arguments!"**

 **They drove. And they drove. Even Aunt Petunia didn't dare ask where they were going. "Shake'em off... shake 'em off," he would mutter.**

 **They didn't stop to eat or drink all day. By nightfall Dudley was howling.**

"Welcome to Harry's world Dudley," Remus said bitterly.

"Why I am not finding myself able to feel bad for this kid?" said Sirius sarcastically.

 **Uncle Vernon** **stopped at last outside a gloomy-looking hotel on the outskirts of a big city. They ate stale cornflakes and cold tinned tomatoes on toast for breakfast the next day. They had just finished when the owner of the hotel came over to their table.**

 **"'Scuse me, but is one of you Mr. H. Potter? Only I got about an 'undred of these at the front desk."**

 **She held up a letter so they could read the green ink address:**

 **Mr.** **H. Potter**

 **Room 17**

 **Railview Hotel**

 **Cokeworth**

"Hundred letters!" James chuckled, "Dumbledore is on fire."

 **Harry** **made a grab for the letter but Uncle Vernon knocked his hand out of the way. The woman stared.**

 **"I'll take them," said Uncle Vernon.**

 **He drove them into the middle of a forest, got out, looked around, shook his head, got back in the car, and off they went again. The same thing happened in the middle of a plowed field, halfway across a suspension bridge, and at the top of a multilevel parking garage.**

"He has gone mad, hasn't he?" Sirius asked looking up from book, when he saw the expression on their face he said, "Not that he already wasn't! just a bit more,"

 **"Daddy's gone mad, hasn't he?" Dudley asked Aunt Petunia dully late that afternoon.**

"Brilliant Black, you think like that fat git." Snape sneered. Sirius just glared at him but his glare lacked its usual venom.

 **Uncle Vernon** **had parked at the coast, locked them all inside the car, and disappeared.**

 **It started to rain. Great drops beat on the roof of the car. Dudley sniveled.**

 **"It's Monday," he told his mother. "The Great Humberto's on tonight. I want to stay somewhere with a television. "**

"I can't believe he is still thinking about television," said Lily, bewildered.

"I can't believe he can actually think," said Sirius, bewildered.

 **Monday. This reminded Harry of something. If it was Monday then tomorrow, Tuesday, was Harry's eleventh birthday.**

"He was born in July," said James.

 **Uncle Vernon** **was back. He was also carrying a long, thin package.**

 **"Found the perfect place!" he said. "Come on! Everyone out!"**

 **Uncle Vernon** **was pointing at what looked like a large rock way out at sea. One thing was certain; there was no television in there.**

 **"Storm forecast for tonight!" said Uncle Vernon gleefully.**

 **"I've already got us some rations, so all aboard!"**

 **There were only two rooms. Uncle Vernon's rations turned out to be a bag of chips each and four bananas.**

"I don't think his baby walrus is going to be happy about this."

 **As night fell, the promised storm blew up around them. Aunt Petunia found a few moldy blankets in the second room and made up a bed for Dudley on the moth-eaten sofa. She and Uncle Vernon went off to the lumpy bed next door, and Harry was left to find the softest bit of floor he could and to curl up under the thinnest, most ragged blanket.**

James clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. Lily scowled.

 **Harry** **couldn't sleep. He shivered and turned over, trying to get comfortable, his stomach rumbling with hunger.**

"My poor baby." she finally managed to say, her eyes filled with tears.

 **The lighted dial of Dudley's watch, told Harry he'd be eleven in ten minutes' time. Harry heard something creak outside.**

"Be careful Harry." Remus was praying to whoever was listening in heaven.

 **Three minutes to go. Was that the sea, slapping hard on the rock like that? And was the rock crumbling into the sea?**

"That is one nasty storm! I hope Harry is fine," Sirius said worriedly.

 **One minute to go and he'd be eleven. Thirty seconds... twenty ... ten... nine - maybe he'd wake Dudley up, just to annoy him - three... two...one...**

 **BOOM.**

 **Someone was outside, knocking to come in.**

"The end." announced Sirius. "Shall we move on or is that enough for the day?"

"I want to read more but I have to go." Lily said in a torn voice.

"I think we can quickly read one more chapter." James suggested. " I want to know about his birthday and what that noise is too." He was almost whining.

So they settled for a quick read.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: THIS STORY BELONGS TO THE GREAT ROWLING. I AM JUST WRITING FOR FUN PURPOSE. NO PROFIT IS BEING MADE.**

 **CHAPTER-6**

 **CHAPTER FOUR**

 **THE KEEPER OF THE KEYS**

"Hagrid." they all announced happily excluding the only Slytherin.

"This is going to be fun." James was now ecstatic.

 **BOOM.**

 **There was a crash behind them and Uncle Vernon came skidding into the room. He was holding a rifle in his hands - now they knew what had been in the long, thin package he had brought with them.**

"He brought a riffle in a room where there are two kids, How dare he!" Lily fumed.

"Exactly what is a riffle?" Sirius asked and James felt like he could kiss him for asking it.

"It's a Muggle version of killing curse." Lily replied.

"He is not planning to kill my son, is he?" James was outraged.

"I think he is trying to protect all of them from wizards," Remus reasoned.

 **"Who's there?" he shouted. "I warn you - I'm armed!"**

 **SMASH!**

 **The door was hit with such force that it swung clean off its hinges and with a deafening crash landed flat on the floor.**

"Oh-uh! Please be safe Harry," Lily was worried.

 **A giant of a man was standing in the doorway. His face was almost completely hidden by a long, shaggy mane of hair and a wild, tangled beard, but you could make out his eyes, glinting like black beetles under all the hair.**

"Classy description." Sirius chuckled.

 **He bent down, picked up the door, and fitted it easily back into its frame. The noise of the storm outside dropped a little.**

 **"Couldn't make us a cup o' tea, could yeh? It's not been an easy journey..."**

"He is being modest if he is asking for tea…" James winked at Sirius and they high fived.

 **"An' here's Harry! Las' time I saw you, you was only a baby," said the giant. "Yeh look a lot like yet dad, but yeh've got yet mom's eyes."**

"Hagrid remembers the color of my eyes." Lily felt touched.

"I think Harry is going to hear this one a lot once he is off to Hogwarts." amused James.

 **Uncle Vernon** **made a funny rasping noise.**

 **"** **I demand that you leave at once, sir!" he said. "You are breaking and entering!"**

 **"Ah, shut up, Dursley, yeh great prune," said the giant;**

"Go Hagrid, show him what is what," James cheered loudly.

 **he reached over the back of the sofa, jerked the gun out of Uncle Vernon's hands, bent it into a knot as easily as if it had been made of rubber, and threw it into a corner of the room. Uncle Vernon made another funny noise, like a mouse being trodden on.**

"Ouch!" Sirius winced. Before James could warn her not to ask Lily said, "What?"

"Wormtail is not going to appreciate this." Sirius said in a solemn voice. Lily rolled her eyes at him.

 **"Anyway - Harry," said the giant, turning his back on the Dursleys, "a very happy birthday to yeh.**

"It's about time someone tell him that." Lily said dryly.

 **Got summat fer yeh here - I mighta sat on it at some point, but it'll taste all right."**

 **From an inside pocket of his black overcoat he pulled a slightly squashed box.**

"Don't eat it, don't eat it." James was chanting.

"Why not?" asked Lily curiously.

"Let's just say Hagrid is not the best cook in circle." Remus explained.

 **Harry** **opened it with trembling fingers. Inside was a large, sticky chocolate cake with Happy Birthday Harry written on it in green icing.**

Lily had tears in her eyes.

"Lily?" James said hesitantly having no clue about what was making her cry.

"He is doing that to honor me! I told Hagrid once that my mum used to wish me happy birthday at midnight with chocolate cake and green icing. He knows I would have done exactly the same thing for my son." And she broke in tears. James hugged her tightly. She buried her face in his chest, crying her eyes out on his robes. James patted her back comfortingly. Snape looked pained.

When she calmed down considerably, Sirius continued,

 **Harry** **looked up at the giant. He meant to say thank you, but the words got lost on the way to his mouth, and what he said instead was, "Who are you?"**

"Where are your manners Harry." Lily chided between her tears.

 **The giant chuckled.**

 **"Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts."**

 **He held out an enormous hand and shook Harry's whole arm.**

"I hate it when he does that." said Sirius rubbing his own arm.

 **The giant sat back down on the sofa, which sagged under his weight, and began taking all sorts of things out of the pockets of his coat: a copper kettle, a squashy package of sausages, a poker, a teapot, and several chipped mugs.**

"How did he manage to do that?" Snape questioned. Nobody knew so they didn't say anything.

 **Nobody said a thing while the giant was working, but as he slid the first six fat, juicy, slightly burnt sausages from the poker, Dudley fidgeted a little. Uncle Vernon said sharply, "Don't touch anything he gives you, Dudley."**

"As if Hagrid is planning to give him anything." Remus said bitterly.

"We are going to eat after this." Sirius was practically drooling over the description of sausages.

 **The giant chuckled darkly.**

 **"Yet great puddin' of a son don' need fattenin' anymore, Dursley, don' worry."**

They all cheered loudly at this.

 **He passed the sausages to Harry. Finally, he said,**

 **"I'm sorry, but I still don't really know who you are."**

 **"Call me Hagrid," he said, "everyone does. An' like I told yeh, I'm Keeper of Keys at Hogwarts - yeh'll know all about Hogwarts, o' course.**

 **"Er - no," said Harry.**

"Hagrid is not going to like it." Lily said nervously.

 **Hagrid looked shocked.**

 **"Sorry," Harry said quickly.**

"Don't be sorry sweetheart, it's not your fault," Lily cooed.

 **"Sorry?" barked Hagrid, turning to stare at the Dursleys.**

"Come on Hagrid kill them!" Sirius was cheering like it was a Quidditch match.

 **"It' s them as should be sorry! I never thought yeh wouldn't even know abou' Hogwarts! Did yeh never wonder where yet parents learned it all?"**

 **"All what?" asked Harry.**

 **"ALL WHAT?" Hagrid thundered. "Now wait jus' one second!"**

 **He had leapt to his feet**

 **"Do you mean ter tell me," he growled at the Dursleys, "that this boy - this boy! - knows nothin' abou' - about ANYTHING?"**

James started laughing at this and even Snape chuckled. When others threw him questioning looks, he explained,

"If he is anything like Lily, he won't like it."

 **Harry** **thought this was going a bit far. He had been to school, after all, and his marks weren't bad.**

 **"I know some things," he said. "I can, you know, do math and stuff."**

"Math and stuff!" Sirius said incredulously, "I repeat, math and stuff!"

 **But Hagrid simply waved his hand and said, "About our world, I mean. Your world. My world. Yer parents' world."**

 **"What world?"**

 **Hagrid looked as if he was about to explode.**

"I would pay anything to witness that." James was back to his cheerful self now that Harry was not suffering anymore.

 **"DURSLEY!" he boomed.**

 **"But yeh must know about yet mom and dad," he said. "I mean, they're famous. You're famous."**

"Of course we are famous, we are Potters after all," James said.

"I think we are famous for dying James," Lily reminded him. James immediately sobered.

 **"What? My - my mom and dad weren't famous, were they?"**

 **"Yeh don' know what yeh are?" he said finally.**

 **Uncle Vernon** **suddenly found his voice.**

"Just punch him already Hagrid." Sirius was now irritated.

 **"Stop!" he commanded. "Stop right there, sit! I forbid you to tell the boy anything!"**

"His name is Harry, you walrus." Remus was losing patience himself.

 **When Hagrid spoke, his every syllable trembled with rage.**

 **"You never told him? Never told him what was in the letter Dumbledore left fer him? you've kept it from him all these years?"**

 **"Kept what from me?" said Harry eagerly.**

 **"Ah, go boil yet heads, both of yeh," said Hagrid. "Harry - yet a wizard."**

"That was overdramatic." Remus said releasing a breath he didn't know he was holding.

 **There was silence inside the hut. Only the sea and the whistling wind could be heard.**

 **"- a what?" gasped Harry.**

"That's exactly how I reacted." Lily remembered with a smile.

 **"A wizard, o' course," said Hagrid, sitting back down on the sofa, which groaned and sank even lower, "An' I reckon it's abou' time yeh read yer letter."**

 **Harry stretched out his hand at last to take the yellowish envelope, addressed in emerald green to Mr. H. Potter, The Floor, Hut-on-the-Rock, The Sea. He pulled out the letter and read:**

 **HOGWARTS** **SCHOOL** **of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY**

 **Headmaster: ALBUS DUMBLEDORE**

 **(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme**

 **Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)**

 **Dear Mr. Potter,**

 **We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.**

 **Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.**

 **Yours sincerely,**

 **Minerva** **McGonagall,**

 **Deputy Headmistress**

"She is still there!" Sirius informed them happily.

"This sounds exactly like my letter." James told them.

"That's because both of you are Mr. Potter." Lily said shaking her head. She was still not sure how she managed to fall in love with him.

 **Questions exploded inside Harry's head like fireworks and he couldn't decide which to ask first. After a few minutes he stammered, "What does it mean, they await my owl?"**

"He could have asked anything and he chose that!" Sirius said blankly.

 **"Gallopin' Gorgons, that reminds me," said Hagrid, and from yet another pocket inside his overcoat he pulled an owl - a real, live, rather ruffled-looking owl - a long quill, and a roll of parchment.**

"poor owl."

 **With his tongue between his teeth he scribbled a note that Harry could read upside down:**

"he can read it upside down!" exclaimed James.

"I can't read it even straight." Sirius looked impressed.

 **Dear Professor Dumbledore,**

 **Given Harry his letter.**

 **Taking him to buy his things tomorrow. Weather's horrible. Hope you're Well.**

 **Hagrid**

"Weather's horrible! Seriously?" Remus was shaking his head.

 **Hagrid rolled up the note, gave it to the owl, which clamped it in its beak, went to the door, and threw the owl out into the storm. Then he came back and sat down as though this was as normal as talking on the telephone.**

"It is, for wizards." Sirius said.

"Harry doesn't know that." Lily told him.

 **Harry** **realized his mouth was open and closed it quickly.**

 **"Where was I?" said Hagrid, but at that moment, Uncle Vernon, still ashen-faced but looking very angry, moved into the firelight.**

"He is not going to give up, is he?" Lily said dejectedly.

 **"He's not going," he said.**

 **Hagrid grunted.**

"Oh great, now Dursley will understand." Sirius commented. when he noticed several raised eyebrows he explained,

"Now Hagrid is speaking troll."

Everybody rolled their eyes at him.

 **"I'd like ter see a great Muggle like you stop him," he said.**

 **"A what?" said Harry, interested.**

 **"A Muggle," said Hagrid, "it's what we call nonmagic folk like thern. "**

 **"We swore when we took him in we'd put a stop to that rubbish," said Uncle Vernon, "swore we'd stamp it out of him! Wizard indeed!"**

"Now you wait for a minute," James was looking murderous, "Stamp it out of him! That filthy excuse of human is not suggesting what I am understanding that he is suggesting." He spat.

"Sirius," Lily said calmly.

"Yes Lily," Sirius was looking dead scared to be addressed directly by Lily.

"Would you like to accompany James when I introduce him to my sister?"

"Pleasure is all mine, madam." Sirius replied with a salute.

 **"You knew?" said Harry. "You knew I'm a - a wizard?"**

 **"Knew!" shrieked Aunt Petunia suddenly. "Knew! Of course we knew! How could you not be, my dratted sister being what she was?**

"LILY IS NOT DRATTED." James shrieked so loudly that everyone jumped.

"James it's ok, she is just jealous of me!" Lily tried to calm him down.

"I don't care what her problem is, she is not allowed to insult my wife in front my son. As a matter of fact nobody is allowed to insult you, anywhere." James snarled. Lily blushed at this statement and out of all the things her blush calmed him down considerably.

 **Oh, she got a letter just like that and disappeared off to that-that school-and came home every vacation with her pockets full of frog spawn, turning teacups into rats.**

"What about the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery?" Remus asked Lily.

"We are allowed to demonstrate magic to our parents, so as to convince them that we are actually learning something." Lily explained.

"What were you doing with frog spawn?" asked Severus hesitantly. James fidgeted nervously.

"Why don't you ask James, he will explain better." Lily replied in a sarcastic voice. She still hadn't forgiven him for that prank.

 **I was the only one who saw her for what she was - a freak!**

"We know it already James, Lily is not a freak. She is in fact the brightest witch of our year." Sirius said before James could even open his mouth. Lily smiled at Sirius for his support.

 **But for my mother and father, oh no, it was Lily this and Lily that, they were proud of having a witch in the family!"**

"Anyone would be proud of having Lily in their family." Remus and James said together. Lily felt deeply touched. She always reprimanded marauders but yet here they were, standing up for her.

 **She stopped to draw a deep breath and then went ranting on. It seemed she had been wanting to say all this for years.**

"Of course you were, but why did you have to take it out on my son Tuney?"

 **"Then she met that Potter at school and they left and got married and had you, and of course I knew you'd be just the same, just as strange, just as - as - abnormal - and then, if you please, she went and got herself blown up and we got landed with you!"**

Silence fell in room of requirement after this sentence. only sound that could be heard was ragged breathing of the occupants of room. After a minute or two Sirius said,

"No one deserves to know the truth about their parents that way." his voice shaking with rage and disbelief.

" She outdid herself." Snape said. forgetting about his resolve to stay silent.

"She used to be my best friend." Lily chocked. She looked at Severus for first time after the incident of lake and the pain in her eyes made it difficult for Severus to breath.

"We are going to change this." Severus told her.

"Your son will be fine." he added as an afterthought. Lily nodded weakly.

 **Harry** **had gone very white. As soon as he found his voice he said, "Blown up? You told me they died in a car crash!"**

"Uh-oh, here comes the bomb." James added merrily thinking about how Hagrid is going to react to that.

 **"CAR CRASH!" roared Hagrid, jumping up so angrily that the Dursleys scuttled back to their corner. "How could a car crash kill Lily an' James Potter? Harry Potter not knowin' his own story when every kid in our world knows his name!"**

 **"But why? What happened?" Harry asked urgently.**

 **The anger faded from Hagrid's face.**

 **"I never expected this," he said, in a low, worried voice. "I had no idea, when Dumbledore told me there might be trouble gettin' hold of yeh, how much yeh didn't know. Ah, Harry, I don' know if I'm the right person ter tell yeh - but someone 3 s gotta - yeh can't go off ter**

 **Hogwarts not knowin'."**

"Oh Hagrid, you are the best person. Just tell him," Lily cooed. Marauders were skeptical about this, they knew from personal experience that Hagrid was not the best person when it came to tact. they prayed for the best.

 **"Well, it's best yeh know as much as I can tell yeh - mind, I can't tell yeh everythin', it's a great myst'ry, parts of it..."**

 **He sat down, stared into the fire for a few seconds, and then said, "It begins, I suppose, with - with a person called - but it's incredible yeh don't know his name, everyone in our world knows -"**

 **"Who? "**

"Nice try kid, but he won't say his name. we have tried many times." James said smiling fondly.

 **"Well - I don' like sayin' the name if I can help it. No one does."**

 **"Why not?"**

 **"Gulpin' gargoyles, Harry, people are still scared. See, there was this wizard who went... bad. As bad as you could go. Worse than worse. His name was..."**

 **Hagrid gulped, but no words came out.**

 **"Could you write it down?" Harry suggested.**

"I don't think he can spell it." Remus wondered aloud.

 **"Nah -can't spell it. All right - Voldemort. "**

"He did it?" James was looking both, proud and jealous at the same time.

"I spent 3 hours explaining him that it is worthless to fear a name and nothing happened. And Harry made it happen in 10 minutes." Sirius looked highly offended.

 **Hagrid shuddered. "Don' make me say it again. Anyway, this - this wizard, about twenty years ago now, started lookin' fer followers. Dark days, Harry. Didn't know who ter trust**

 **... terrible things happened. 'Course, some stood up to him - an' he killed 'em. Horribly.**

"You don't have to be so blunt about all these murders, he is just eleven." Lily said in a horrified voice.

"That's Hagrid for you." James informed her.

 **One o' the only safe places left was Hogwarts. Reckon Dumbledore's the only one You-Know-Who was afraid of. Didn't dare try takin' the school, not jus' then, anyway.**

" Exactly why am I not feeling relieved with this news?" Remus asked to no one in particular.

 **"Now, yer mum an' dad were as good a witch an' wizard as I ever knew.**

"Remind me to get something good for Hagrid this Christmas." James said just than Sirius doubled over with laughter.

"What is wrong with you?" Lily asked him.

"Now you are going to love this one Prongs," he said between his stitches of laughter. Remus took the book from his hands and read. He smiled, looked at James sympathetically and read aloud,

 **Head boy an' girl at Hogwarts in their day!**

"What!" James couldn't believe what he heard. He snatched the from Remus and read it for himself.

"Who in their right mind decided to make me head boy?" he asked faintly.

"Maybe someone who is not in their right mind, like Dumbledore." provided Sirius still in hysterics. Lily was looking at the boys with disbelief.

 **Suppose the myst'ry is whyYou-Know-Who never tried to get 'em on his side before... probably knew they were too close ter Dumbledore ter want anythin' ter do with the**

 **Dark Side.**

"Of course, I would rather die a hundred times than join Voldemort," James said in matter-of-fact voice. Lily smiled proudly at her future husband.

 **"Maybe he thought he could persuade 'em... maybe he just wanted 'em outta the way. All anyone knows is, he turned up in the village where you was all living, on Halloween ten years ago. You was just a year old.**

Everyone was holding their breath as Remus continued reading.

 **He came ter yer house an' - an' -" Hagrid suddenly pulled out a very dirty, spotted handkerchief and blew his nose with a sound like a foghorn.**

 **"Sorry," he said. "But it's that sad - knew yer mum an' dad, an' nicer people yeh couldn't find**

Both Lily and James smiled sadly at that.

 **\- anyway..."**

 **"You-Know-Who killed 'em. An' then he tried to kill you, too. But he couldn't do it. took care of yer mum an' dad an' yer house, even - but it didn't work on you, an' that's why yer famous, Harry. No one ever lived after he decided ter kill 'em, no one except you, an' he'd killed some o' the best witches an' wizards of the age -**

Remus tensed as he read the names. They were all their friends.

 **the McKinnons,**

"Marlene!" Lily shrieked so loudly that it was a miracle Remus could still hear.

 **the Bones,**

"Does that mean Amelia Bones?" James asked frantically looking everywhere. His family was close with Bones and he himself was quite attached with Amelia.

 **the Prewetts**

"No! not the Prewetts." Sirius was very fond of Prewett twins who were few years older than them.

 **\- an' you was only a baby, an' you lived."**

"Oh my baby." Lily was again in tears. Snape was quite this entire time but his mind was reeling. It was one thing to believe in blood purity but this was barbaric. McKinnons, Bones, Prewetts they all were pureblood families and in fact even Potters were also pureblood. Things were not making sense anymore.

 **Something very painful was going on in Harry's mind. As Hagrid's story came to a close, he saw again the blinding flash of green light, more clearly than he had ever remembered it before - and he remembered something else, for the first time in his life: a high, cold, cruel**

 **laugh.**

Everyone froze with this revelation.

"We need to change things. I won't let my son grow up with memories like that." James said looking at everyone as if daring them to challenge him. Everyone nodded their consent, even Snape.

 **Hagrid was watching him sadly.**

 **"Took yeh from the ruined house myself, on Dumbledore's orders. Brought yeh ter this lot..."**

 **"Load of old tosh," said Uncle Vernon. Harry jumped. Uncle Vernon certainly seemed to**

 **have got back his courage. He was glaring at Hagrid and his fists were clenched.**

 **"Now, you listen here, boy," he snarled, "I accept there's something strange about you, probably nothing a good beating wouldn't have cured**

"This hasn't happened yet, this hasn't happened yet," James was chanting to remain seated.

 **\- and as for all this about your parents, well, they were weirdos, no denying it, and the world's better off without them in my opinion -**

"Nobody is asking your opinion, you elephant!" Sirius roared. He couldn't even imagine a world where his friends didn't exist. James was continuously chanting his mantra and Remus seemed to be cracking with every word he read.

 **But at that moment, Hagrid leapt from the sofa and drew a battered pink umbrella from inside his coat. Pointing this at Uncle Vernon like a sword, he said, "I'm warning you, Dursley -I'm warning you - one more word... "**

 **Uncle Vernon's courage failed again; he flattened himself against the wall and fell silent.**

"Poor wall." Sirius said in a feeble attempt to lighten the mood in room.

 **"That's better," said Hagrid, breathing heavily and sitting back down on the sofa, which this time sagged right down to the floor. Harry, meanwhile, still had questions to ask, hundreds of them.**

 **"But what happened to Vol-, sorry - I mean, You-Know-Who?"**

"Oh Harry, there is no need to be afraid of his name." James said in clear exasperation.

"I think he is just trying to be modest because of Hagrid." Remus said reasonably.

 **"Good question, Harry. Disappeared. Vanished. Same night he tried ter kill you. Makes yeh even more famous. why'd he go?**

 **"Some say he died. Codswallop, in my opinion. Dunno if he had enough human left in him to die. Most of us reckon he's still out there somewhere but lost his powers. Too weak to carry on. 'Cause somethin' about you finished him, Harry.**

"You know I still find it pretty unsettling that he couldn't kill Harry." James wondered.

"Yeah I know. I don't know if I should be relieved or worried that he survived." Lily said guiltly.

 **Hagrid looked at Harry with warmth and respect blazing in his eyes, but Harry, instead of feeling pleased and proud, felt quite sure there had been a horrible mistake. A wizard? Him? How could he possibly be? He'd spent his life being clouted by Dudley, and bullied by Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon; if he was really a wizard, why hadn't they been turned into warty toads every time they'd tried to lock him in his cupboard?**

"I am sorry to disappoint you young man, but magic doesn't work that way, Not even accidental magic." Remus said chuckling.

 **"Hagrid," he said quietly, "I think you must have made a mistake. I don't think I can be a wizard."**

 **"Not a wizard, eh? Never made things happen when you was scared or angry?"**

 **Now he came to think about it... every odd thing that had ever made his aunt and uncle furious with him had happened when he, Harry, had been upset or angry... chased by Dudley's gang, he had somehow found himself out of their reach... dreading going to school with that ridiculous haircut, he'd managed to make it grow back...**

"Oh that's just your father's unmistakable charm Harry." James said ruffling his hair and to her immense surprise, Lily found it pretty cute.

 **Harry looked back at Hagrid, smiling, and saw that Hagrid was positively beaming at him.**

 **"See?" said Hagrid. "Harry Potter, not a wizard - you wait, you'll be right famous at Hogwarts."**

"I don't think he is going to appreciate this being famous part." Lily said shaking her head.

"Why not?" James looked scandalized.

"Because he is more like me than you." Lily said simply. Sirius and Remus snorted at this.

 **But Uncle Vernon wasn't going to give in without a fight. "Haven't I told you he's not going?" "If he wants ter go, a great Muggle like you won't stop him," growled Hagrid. "Stop Lily an' James Potter' s son goin' ter Hogwarts! He'll be with youngsters of his own sort, fer a change, an' he'll be under the greatest headmaster Hogwarts ever had Albus Dumbled-"**

 **"I AM NOT PAYING FOR SOME CRACKPOT OLD FOOL To TEACH HIM MAGIC TRICKS!"**

"That's it." Sirius said dramatically "We don't have to worry about taking care of Dursley anymore. He took care of himself."

"What does that suppose to mean?" Lily was clearly confused.

"There is no tomorrow if you insult Dumbledore in front of Hagrid." James informed her grinning evilly.

 **yelled Uncle Vernon. But he had finally gone too far. Hagrid seized his umbrella and whirled**

 **it over his head, "NEVER," he thundered, "- INSULT- ALBUS- DUMBLEDORE-IN-FRONT- OF-ME!"**

Sirius was bouncing in anticipation, Lily was seriously considering about taking him to hospital wing.

 **He brought the umbrella swishing down through the air to point at Dudley - there was a flash of violet light, a sound like a firecracker, a sharp squeal, and the next second, Dudley was dancing on the spot with his hands clasped over his fat bottom, howling in pain. When he turned his back on them, Harry saw a curly pig's tail poking through a hole in his trousers.**

All the teenagers in room including Snape burst out laughing.

 **Uncle Vernon** **roared. Pulling Aunt Petunia and Dudley into the other room, he cast one last terrified look at Hagrid and slammed the door behind them. Hagrid looked down at his umbrella and stroked his beard.**

 **"Shouldn'ta lost me temper,"**

"Nobody blames you Hagrid." Sirius said fondly.

 **"but it didn't work anyway. Meant ter turn him into a pig, but I suppose he was so much like a pig anyway there wasn't much left ter do."**

Once again everyone burst out laughing.

 **"Be grateful if yeh didn't mention that ter anyone at Hogwarts," he said. "I'm - er - not supposed ter do magic, strictly speakin'. I was allowed ter do a bit ter follow yeh an' get yer letters to yeh an' stuff - one o' the reasons I was so keen ter take on the job**

"Very thoughtful of you to say so Hagrid." Lily rolled her eyes.

 **"Why aren't you supposed to do magic?" asked Harry.**

 **"Oh, well - I was at Hogwarts meself but I - er - got expelled, ter tell yeh the truth. In me third year. They snapped me wand in half an' everything."**

 **"Why were you expelled?"**

"Where are your manners Harry?" Lily glared at the book and James chuckled.

"Nice try pup, he won't say a thing about it." Sirius said confidently.

"Pup?" Snape couldn't help himself.

"What kind of thing is this to call a kid, Black?" Sirius was startled to hear Snape. he had nearly forgotten that he was there. Snape felt satisfied at the guilty look on Sirius's face but to his absolute horror Lily giggled,

"I think that was cute." she told Sirius approvingly. Sirius grinned at her and James simply beamed. Remus was watching this exchange with amusement. He had always been friends with Lily but it was good to watch her open up with his other friends too. With contentment he started reading again,

 **"It's gettin' late and we've got lots ter do tomorrow," said Hagrid loudly. "Gotta get up ter town, get all yer books an' that."**

 **He took off his thick black coat and threw it to Harry.**

 **"You can kip under that," he said. "Don' mind if it wriggles a bit, I think I still got a couple o' dormice in one o' the pockets."**

"That's it." Remus said closing the book. Lily looked at her watch and said,

" It's pretty late, we should leave." Everyone nodded. When they entered Gryffindor common room, they saw Alice, Frank, Marlene, Mary and Peter sitting by fireplace and immersed in homework.

"Lily!" Alice started, "Where have you been?"

"I told you I was going to library." said Lily nervously.

"Well I checked there, I needed your help with this essay, you were not there."

"I- well- I," Lily had no idea what she was going to say,

"That's because you couldn't see her," replied James, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.

"I checked thoroughly." Alice shot back.

"Of course you did dear Alice, but it doesn't matter, we were practicing disillusionment charm there." Sirius joined in.

"On Evans." finished James.

"That explains a lot." muttered Alice.

"They performed disillusionment charm on you and you didn't even notice." Frank said suspiciously.

"I was concentrating on my work." said Lily rather loudly.

She threw James and Sirius nasty looks and said in mock anger, "I should have known better, I thought you came there to study, how wrong I was!"

When she was sure nobody was watching she smiled at them thankfully.

"Coming Pete?" Sirius asked.

"In a minute." Peter replied chewing his bottom lip.

 **A/N: hey guys i need a suggestion. I personally feel Alice and Frank should also be given a chance to know about their son. Life was as much unfair to them as it was to Potters. What do you feel about it? Is their anyone else you want me to include in the story? All suggestions are welcome. :)**

 **HAPPY READING**


	7. confrontations

**A/N: GUYS PLEASE I NEED YOUR REVIEWS TO KNOW IF I AM DOING GOOD OR NOT. PLEASE KEEP REVIEWING. AND OF COURSE EVERY CHARACTER BELONGS TO ROWLING ETC ETC.**

CHAPTER- 7 CONFRONTATION

Marauders were sprawled across their mattresses when Peter entered the dorm, he was looking rather nervous. Remus noticed his hesitation.

"What happened to you Wormtail?" he asked. Others looked at him too.

"Where were you all today?" he asked in a trembling voice.

"I think it was made pretty clear downstairs, that we were playing prank on Evans," Sirius said in a calm voice. He knew James hated lying to Wormtail about their secret but again, it was supposed to be a secret.

"No… you were not."

"What are you saying?"

"I checked the map, you were nowhere on school property and Evans was not in library either, she was with you, wasn't she?" his voice was shaking now.

Marauders exchanged an uneasy glance.

"Look Pete…" James started, he hated lying to his almost brother. He could trust Peter with his life. He decided he trusted him enough to let him know, then he closed his eyes for a moment and a face came in front of his eyes. His own face, when he was 11 but having Lily's eyes. He thought about his unborn son and future wife and opened his eyes. With a sigh he said, "I am sorry about lying. You were right, we were not in library." He looked at other two marauders who were looking at him with pleading eyes so as to not tell Wormtail anything.

"We were trying to go out of castle, you know for regular butterbeer and stuff and Evans caught us right at the exit. We had no other choice, we had to show her the way out of castle and we all were outside."

"You were with Evans? Outside the castle?"

"Yes!"

"Why didn't you tell me then, I mean, why were you lying?" he sounded hurt.

"Umm, we sort of convinced Lily to keep quiet about that passageway; besides we thought you won't like it. You know, letting an outsider in on the secret." Remus said before James could falter by the look on Peter's face.

"Oh come on! You know you can tell me anything, anything at all. I am your best buddy after all." Peter said happily, finally understanding the mystery.

"By the way, good going with Evans, Prongs!" he complemented James.

They went to bed that night with guilt crawling to their minds.

They knew they wouldn't be able to hide their little secret for long, for one thing they hated lying to their best friend and for another they were running out of excuses for disappearing every night from school for around two hours.

But firstly James needed to warn Lily next day and he also needed to take proper care of marauder's map. He decided he will talk to Lily tomorrow in transfiguration, their first class. He would have chosen Herbology to talk to Lily as this was a perfect class for chit chats but he was partner with Peter in that class so it was a closed option. With that last thought he drifted off to a peaceful sleep.

Next morning, breakfast was a silent affair obviously if you counted fluttering of around hundred of owls in great hall as silent.

They had double transfiguration and after that double herbology. James reached up to Lily in transfiguration where she usually partnered with Marlene and said,

"Hey Marley, you mind pairing up with Sirius, I want to work with Evans today." he ruffled his hair nervously. Marlene looked at lily in case she had any objection and walked off to sit with Sirius who greeted her with a wink and a toothy grin. Trust Sirius to flirt with anything even distantly female.

"What happened?" Lily asked in a hushed voice as McGonagall started collecting their homework.

"Peter is getting suspicious," James told her, "badly," he added after a moment.

"What do we do about that?" she asked him unable to think of anything at the moment.

"We will discuss tonight, meanwhile, stay alert." He told her in a serious tone. She peeked a look at his face, he was looking thoughtful. Somehow, that look suited him Lily decided, giggling internally and feeling like a 16 year old after a very long time. James had another concern at that moment so he didn't notice the change in her expressions,

"I have to arrange Quidditch try-outs this week," he told her.

"You can arrange try-outs in synchronization with our prefect's duty, so we can manage at least few spare evenings." she suggested. James nodded his consent, he could arrange try-outs on the day Lily and Snape had their prefect duties.

"Mr. Potter, Miss. Evans if you two are done with your conversation I would like to start my lesson" McGonagall was looking more amused than angry that these two could manage to have a decent conversation at all.

James gave his thumbs up and said, "Yes ma'm." and Lily just rolled her eyes at his antics.

"I don't know how is he doing that but I am impressed," Peter told Remus, awe written clear all over his face. Remus chuckled trying to remember one single incident when James did something that didn't impress Peter.

At right time they all were present. James told them about Peter getting suspicious and he very carefully omitted the part where map was involved. He had no problem sharing his secret with Lily but he was not comfortable telling Snape about his possessions.

"We can arrange Quidditch practice in sync with your prefect duties if you two could arrange your patrols on same days." James said what Lily had suggested in a business like tone. He was not exactly on friendly terms with Snape but they were on a silent truce to behave properly.

"Besides we need to use this weekend to read the books, we are not progressing much and if continued reading on such slow pace it will take us forever to finish this book," Lily voiced her opinion and James and Sirius agreed with her. Snape and Remus on the other hand were thinking about same thing,

"We also need to think about something to say to Peter, it's his last day of detention and we can't keep it a secret from him forever." Remus pointed out another problem and Snape mentally agreed with him.

"Leave him to me," Sirius said. "I can buy us tomorrow but we will have to think of something else for Sunday."

"Don't worry, we will think of something." said Remus.

" I hope your friends won't become suspicious of you for disappearing for an entire day?" James asked Snape.

"I will manage." he replied curtly.

"I think we should start reading now," Sirius suggested.

Lily picked up the book and started reading when she found the correct page,

 **CHAPTER FIVE  
DIAGON ALLEY**

"Yayyiee," Marauders cheered loudly. Lily smiled at them and read ahead,

 **Harry woke early the next morning. Although he could tell it was daylight, he kept his eyes shut tight.  
"It was a dream, he told himself firmly. "I dreamed a giant called Hagrid came to tell me I was going to a school for wizards. When I open my eyes I'll be at home in my cupboard."**

"He is such a pessimist." Sirius sighed.

"Look at the people he grew up with, what else do you expect him to be!" Lily retorted. For a moment Sirius thought of telling her about his family then decided against it.

 **There was suddenly a loud tapping noise. And there's Aunt Petunia knocking on the door, Harry thought, his heart sinking. But he still didn't open his eyes. It had been such a good dream.  
Tap. Tap. Tap.  
"All right," Harry mumbled, "I'm getting up."**

"When we change this future and you two raise Harry, make sure he is a bit more optimistic about life." Remus suggested. Both Lily and James nodded completely agreeing with him.

 **He sat up and Hagrid's heavy coat fell off him. there was an owl rapping its claw on the window, a newspaper held in its beak. Harry scrambled to his feet, so happy he felt as though a large balloon was swelling inside him. He went straight to the window and jerked it open. The owl swooped in and dropped the newspaper on top of Hagrid, who didn't wake up and began to attack Hagrid's coat.  
"Don't do that."**

"Don't worry son, that owl just wants payment for newspaper." James said soothingly only to receive incredulous looks from his friends.

 **Harry tried to wave the owl out of the way, but it snapped its beak fiercely at him and carried on savaging the coat.**

"These owls can sometimes be pain." Sirius muttered.

"Yeah," James replied, " Remember the one who nearly took your eye out, Padfoot?"

"You two were trying to wrap it in Pete's cloak, what else were you expecting?" Remus asked shaking his head.

"It was cold outside, I was just trying to warm it." Sirius replied indignantly. Lily and Severus tried to pretend they didn't hear this exchange.

 **"Hagrid!" said Harry loudly. "There's an owl  
"Pay him," Hagrid grunted into the sofa.  
"What?"**

"Come on Hagrid, he doesn't know about owl post." James said in clear annoyance.

 **"He wants payin' fer deliverin' the paper. Look in the pockets."**

 **Hagrid's coat seemed to be made of nothing but pockets, finally, Harry pulled out a handful of strange-looking coins.  
"Give him five Knuts," said Hagrid sleepily.  
"Knuts?"**

"And apparently he doesn't know about wizard currency too." This time Remus groaned in frustration.

 **"The little bronze ones."  
Harry counted out five little bronze coins, and the owl held out his leg so Harry could put the money into a small leather pouch tied to it. Hagrid yawned loudly, sat up, and stretched.**

"Why all that trouble if he was going to wake up anyway?" James said annoyed.

 **Harry was turning over the wizard coins and looking at them. He had just thought of something that made him feel as though the happy balloon inside him had got a puncture.**

"Nooooo, not the happy balloon." Sirius cried dramatically and found that four pair of eyes were fixed on him raising questions on his sanity.

 **"Um - Hagrid? I haven't got any money - and you heard Uncle Vernon last night ... he won't pay for me to go and learn magic."**

At this James smiled sadly, " He really doesn't know anything about his family, now does he!"

"Don't worry Prongs, we will change this." Sirius soothed James all traces of insanity vanished from his features.

"Being a Potter means you never have to worry about money, Harry knows nothing about his riches." Remus answered Lily's silent question.

 **"Don't worry about that," said Hagrid, "D'yeh think yer parents didn't leave yeh anything?"  
"But if their house was destroyed -"**

"Now how does that matter?" Sirius was confused.

"He doesn't know about Gringotts yet." Remus replied.

 **"They didn' keep their gold in the house, boy! Nah, first stop fer us is Gringotts. Wizards' bank. "  
"Wizards have banks?"**

"Of course we do Harry, we are not vultures," Sirius looked offended.

 **"Just the one. Gringotts. Run by goblins."  
Harry dropped the bit of sausage he was holding.  
"Goblins?"  
" Gringotts is the safest place in the world fer anything yeh want ter keep safe - 'cept maybe Hogwarts. As a matter o' fact, I gotta visit Gringotts anyway. Fer Dumbledore. Hogwarts  
business." Hagrid drew himself up proudly. "Got everythin'? Come on, then."**

Lily looked up from book and said,

"I don't know why, but this just sounds so ominous,"

"You are not the only one," Severus muttered.

 **Harry followed Hagrid out onto the rock. The boat Uncle Vernon had hired was still there, with a lot of water in the bottom after the storm.  
"How did you get here?" Harry asked, looking around for another boat.  
"Flew," said Hagrid.**

"Flew?" five voices asked.

 **"Flew?"  
"Yeah - but we'll go back in this. Not s'pposed ter use magic now I've got yeh."  
They settled down in the boat, Harry still staring at Hagrid, trying to imagine him flying.**

"Trust me pup, I am also trying," Sirius said in a very solemn voice.

"There is no flying object that can support Hagrid," Remus reasoned.

"Maybe Threstrolls," Lily suggested.

"Maybe," James mumbled still lost in his imagination.

 **"Why would you be mad to try and rob Gringotts?" Harry asked.  
"Spells - enchantments," said Hagrid, unfolding his newspaper as he spoke. "They say there's dragons guardin' the highsecurity vaults. **

"No, there are not." Lily said.

"Yes, there are." said James and Sirius together.

"How would you know?"

"Potters and Blacks both have high security vaults." James informed her.

"Are you trying to say my son is going to encounter a dragon on his first visit to diagon alley," Lily asked hysterically.

"Oh no Lily he won't. They won't give him access to family vault till he comes of age. They will show him only his trust vault."

"Oh, as long as he doesn't encounter dragons it's ok!"

 **And then yeh gotta find yer way - Gringotts is hundreds of miles under London, see. Yeh'd die of hunger tryin' ter get out, even if yeh did manage ter get yer hands on summat."**

"Again, not a very nice thing to tell a kid," Lily muttered.

 **Harry sat and thought about this while Hagrid read his newspaper, the Daily Prophet. Harry had learned from Uncle Vernon that people liked to be left alone while they did this, but it was very difficult, he'd never had so many questions in his life.**

"Don't worry son, Hagrid won't mind you asking him questions," James said in a fatherly voice.

 **"Ministry o' Magic messin' things up as usual," Hagrid muttered, turning the page.  
"There's a Ministry of Magic?" Harry asked, before he could stop himself.  
"'Course," said Hagrid. "They wanted Dumbledore fer Minister, 0 'course, but he'd never leave Hogwarts, so old Cornelius Fudge got the job. **

"What!" James shouted so loudly that everyone jumped in surprise and Sirius actually fell from his chair.

"What was that for?" asked a frustrated Severus.

"Who in their right mind decided to appoint Fudge as minister of magic. He is a fool."

"You know him?" Lily asked him.

"He works under my dad. Let's just say my dad is not very fond of him and that's saying a lot considering that my dad is even fond of Mandrakes."

Everyone shuddered and Lily decided to read again,

 **he pelts Dumbledore with owls every morning, askin' fer advice."**

"I bet he does. He can't even manage a howler on his own." James was still fuming.

 **"But what does a Ministry of Magic do?"**

"Nothing son. They just take bribes and cover up tracks for death eaters." James said matter-of-factly. When he realized Lily was staring at him with wide eyes he said softly,

"My dad is head of department of Magical Law Enforcement. I know loads of inside stuff about ministry."

 **"Well, their main job is to keep it from the Muggles that there's still witches an' wizards up an' down the country."  
At this moment the boat bumped gently into the harbor wall. Passersby stared a lot at Hagrid as they walked through the little town to the station. **

"Maybe Dumbledore should have sent someone less conspicuous," Remus said.

 **They had reached the station. People stared more than ever on the train. Hagrid took up two seats and sat knitting what looked like a canary-yellow circus tent.  
"Still got yer letter, Harry?" he asked as he counted stitches. **

Sirius suddenly burst with laughter,

"What happened?" James asked.

"Just imagined Hagrid sitting like an old Granny and knitting sweaters." He said wiping a tear off his cheek and again burst in laughter.

"Should we be worried about his mental health?" Lily asked James. James shook his head and smiled fondly,

"That's Sirius Orion Black for you."

 **Harry took the parchment envelope out of his pocket.**

 **Harry unfolded a second piece of paper he hadn't noticed the night before, and read:  
HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY  
UNIFORM  
First-year students will require:  
1\. Three sets of plain work robes (black)  
2\. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear **("As if anyone wears that") **  
3\. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)  
4\. One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)  
Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags **("No one wears that either") **  
COURSE BOOKS  
All students should have a copy of each of the following:  
The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk  
A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot **("Binns is still there,?" "How? He must be dead by now,") **  
Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling  
A Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration by Emetic Switch  
One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore  
Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger **("We don't use this book, there must be a new potions teacher") **  
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander** ("What is the purpose of suggesting this book, they are not going to need it before third year anyway") **  
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble** (" I wonder who they got for defense this year") **  
OTHER EQUIPMENT  
wand cauldron (pewter, standard size 2) set  
glass or crystal phials  
telescope set  
brass scales  
Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad  
PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS**

"I hate that rule" James whimpered. " I had to wait an entire year to try for team,"

 **Harry had never been to London before.**

Lily and James groaned at that.

 **They passed book shops and music stores, hamburger restaurants and cinemas, but nowhere that looked as if it could sell you a magic wand. This was just an ordinary street full of  
ordinary people. Could there really be piles of wizard gold buried miles beneath them? Were there really shops that sold spell books and broomsticks? Might this not all be some huge joke that the Dursleys had cooked up? **

"No 11 year old should be this pessimistic about life," Remus growled suddenly.

"You two better stop me from hunting these Dursleys during next full moon," He spat at his friends, his voice full of venom.

"And that is why you should never cross Remus," Sirius said looking frightened himself.

 **Even though everything Hagrid had told him so far was unbelievable, Harry couldn't help  
trusting him.**

"Trust him Harry, he is worth your trust," Sirius said softly.

 **"This is it," said Hagrid, coming to a halt, "the Leaky Cauldron. It's a famous place."  
It was a tiny, grubby-looking pub. The people hurrying by didn't glance at it. Their eyes slid from the big book shop on one side to the record shop on the other as if they couldn't see the Leaky Cauldron at all.**

"Of course they can't see it at all. There is a Muggle repulsion charm on it," Severus said snidely.

"He doesn't know it," Lily said sternly.

 **In fact, Harry had the most peculiar feeling that only he and Hagrid could see it. Before he could mention this, Hagrid had steered him inside.  
For a famous place, it was very dark and shabby. A few old women were sitting in a corner, drinking tiny glasses of sherry. **

"He is quite observant, isn't he?" Lily mused. James smile smugly, he himself was quite observant.

 **One of them was smoking a long pipe. A little man in a top hat was talking to the old bartender, who was quite bald and looked like a toothless walnut.**

Everyone, except the only Slytherin in the room, burst out laughing.

"Your son doesn't take it easy on descriptions." Remus said laughing.

"I think he got it from his mum." James said between his fits of laughter and Lily blushed furiously. Snape noticed her blush and gritted his teeth.

 **Everyone seemed to know Hagrid; they waved and smiled at him, and the bartender reached for a glass, saying, "The usual, Hagrid?"  
"Can't, Tom, I'm on Hogwarts business," said Hagrid, clapping his great hand on Harry's shoulder and making Harry's knees buckle.**

"He does that with me often," Sirius complained.

 **"Good Lord," said the bartender, peering at Harry, "is this - can this be -?"  
The Leaky Cauldron had suddenly gone completely still and silent.  
"Bless my soul," whispered the old bartender, "Harry Potter... what an honor."**

"Hey Prongs, looks like your son is famous," Sirius said in a voice full of mock surprise. James just rolled his eyes at him.

 **He hurried out from behind the bar, rushed toward Harry and seized his hand, tears in his eyes.**

"Now that's over reaction," Lily said throwing her hands up in frustration.

 **"Welcome back, Mr. Potter, welcome back."  
Harry didn't know what to say. Everyone was looking at him. The old woman with the pipe was puffing on it without realizing it had gone out.**

"He is scaring me with his observations," Sirius said.

 **Then there was a great scraping of chairs and the next moment, Harry found himself shaking hands with everyone in the Leaky Cauldron.  
"Doris Crockford, Mr. Potter."  
"So proud, Mr. Potter, I'm just so proud."  
"Always wanted to shake your hand - I'm all of a flutter."  
"Delighted, Mr. Potter, Diggle's the name, Dedalus Diggle."  
"I've seen you before!" said Harry, as Dedalus Diggle's top hat fell off in his excitement. "You bowed to me once in a shop."  
"He remembers!" cried Dedalus Diggle. "Did you hear that? He remembers me!" Harry shook hands again and again.**

"Hey Lily, you were saying something about overreaction," James said sounding annoyed.

 **A pale young man made his way forward, very nervously.  
"Professor Quirrell!" said Hagrid. "Harry, Professor Quirrell will be one of your teachers at Hogwarts."**

"Do we know him?" James asked Lily and Remus as they both knew almost entire teaching staff of Hogwarts.

"Not really, he must be new." Lily replied.

"I wonder what he teaches." murmured Remus.

 **"P-P-Potter," stammered Professor Quirrell, grasping Harry's hand,  
"What sort of magic do you teach, Professor Quirrell?"  
"D-Defense Against the D-D-Dark Arts," muttered Professor Quirrell, as though he'd rather not think about it. "You'll be g-getting all your equipment, I suppose? I've g-got to p-pick up a new b-book on vampires, m-myself." He looked terrified at the very thought.**

"Why is he so terrified of vampires if he teaches defense?"

"This stammering is annoying."

"I am not having good feelings about this guy."

 **"Must get on - lots ter buy. Come on, Harry."  
Doris Crockford shook Harry's hand one last time, and Hagrid led them through the bar and out into a small, walled courtyard. Hagrid grinned at Harry.  
"Told yeh, didn't I? Told yeh you was famous. Even Professor Quirrell was tremblin' ter meet yeh - mind you, he's usually tremblin'."**

"Is that a good thing?" asked Remus skeptically.

 **"Is he always that nervous?"  
"Oh, yeah. Poor bloke. Brilliant mind. He was fine while he was studyin' outta books but then he took a year off ter get some firsthand experience... They say he met vampires in the Black Forest, and there was a nasty bit o' trouble with a hag - never been the same since.  
Scared of the students, scared of his own subject now, where's me umbrella?"**

"I don't reckon Hags and Vampires should have such nasty effects on a defense teacher. I think there is something wrong with this guy." James said looking worried.

 **He tapped the wall three times with the point of his umbrella. The brick he had touched quivered - it wriggled - in the middle, a small hole appeared - it grew wider and wider - a second later they were facing an archway large enough even for Hagrid.  
"Welcome," said Hagrid, "to Diagon Alley."**

Lily and James's smiles faltered at this. It should have been them to take Harry to Diagon Alley for the first time.

 **The sun shone brightly on a stack of cauldrons outside the nearest shop. Cauldrons - All Sizes - Copper, Pewter, Silver - Self-Stirring - Collapsible, said a sign hanging over them. He turned his head in every direction as they walked up the street. A plump woman outside an Apothecary was shaking her head as they passed, saying, "Dragon liver, seventeen Sickles an ounce, they're mad..."**

"Indeed," muttered Remus, "It's only seven sickle these days."

 **Several boys of about Harry's age had their noses pressed against a window with broomsticks in it. "Look," Harry heard one of them say, "the new Nimbus Two Thousand - fastest ever -"**

James was wriggling in his seat with excitement.

 **There were shops selling robes, windows stacked with barrels of bat spleens and eels' eyes, tottering piles of spell books, quills, potion bottles, globes of the moon...  
"Gringotts," said Hagrid.**

"Finally!" all marauders chorused together.

 **They had reached a snowy white building. Standing beside its burnished bronze doors, wearing a uniform of scarlet and gold, was -  
"Yeah, that's a goblin," said Hagrid quietly as they walked up the white stone steps toward him. The goblin was about a head shorter than Harry.**

"Merlin Prongs, Harry is such a midget," Sirius exclaimed.

 **He had a swarthy, clever face, a pointed beard and, Harry noticed, very long fingers and feet.**

"He is indeed very observant," Severus couldn't help but admit.

 **He bowed as they walked inside. Now they were facing a second pair of doors, silver this time, with words engraved upon them:**

"Now Lily you will have to sing it," Sirius said happily.

"Are you crazy?" Lily couldn't sing to even save her life.

"No, I am Sirius." Sirius took the book from Lily and started singing,

 **Enter, stranger, but take heed  
Of what awaits the sin of greed,  
For those who take, but do not earn,  
Must pay most dearly in their turn.  
So if you seek beneath our floors  
A treasure that was never yours,  
Thief, you have been warned, beware  
Of finding more than treasure there.**

When he finished the song he returned the book and sat back on his seat merrily.

 **About a hundred more goblins were sitting on high stools behind a long counter, scribbling in large ledgers, weighing coins in brass scales. Hagrid and Harry made for the counter.  
"Morning," said Hagrid to a free goblin. "We've come ter take some money outta Mr. Harry Potter's safe."  
"You have his key, Sir?"  
"Got it here somewhere," said Hagrid, **

"I wonder what is Hagrid doing in possession of that key?" James said.

"Maybe you gave it to Dumbledore," Remus suggested.

"Why would I do that? It sounds like I was almost expecting to die," James wondered aloud. Lily looked horrified with this prospect.

 **"Got it," said Hagrid at last, holding up a tiny golden key. The goblin looked at it closely.  
"That seems to be in order."  
"An' I've also got a letter here from Professor Dumbledore," said Hagrid importantly. "It's about the You-Know-What in vault seven hundred and thirteen."**

"What is that?" asked Sirius his face shining with curiosity.

 **The goblin read the letter carefully.  
"Very well," he said, handin g it back to Hagrid, "I will have Someone take you down to both vaults. Griphook!"**

"Ah! I hate that goblin," Sirius made a face.

"You know goblins?" Lily looked slightly impressed.

"Being the elder son of Black family has its own perks." Sirius replied sarcastically and James shot Lily a warning look so as to not press the issue.

 **Griphook was yet another goblin.  
"What's the You-Know-What in vault seven hundred and thirteen?" Harry asked.**

"Good thing you asked it kiddo." Sirius was definitely excited.

 **"Can't tell yeh that," said Hagrid mysteriously. "Very secret. Hogwarts business. Dumbledore's trusted me. More'n my job's worth ter tell yeh that."**

"He has lost it. Saying something like that to a Potter..." Snape said exasperated.

"What do you mean Snivellus?" asked James somehow offended.

"Think about it Prongs, if he has got any of Lily's curiosity and your knack of getting involved in the things that don't concern you..." Remus tried to explain.

"Then things are going to get ugly." Lily concluded.

 **Griphook held the door open for them. Griphook whistled and a small cart came hurtling up the tracks toward them. They climbed in - Hagrid with some difficulty - and were off.**

"I hate these rides they make me sick." Lily said in a disgusted voice. At all the confused looks that she got, she explained," I have been to Marlene's vault."

 **At first they just hurtled through a maze of twisting passages. Harry tried to remember, left, right, right, left, middle fork, right, left, but it was impossible.**

"He did better than me." James and Sirius chorused together. Lily simply shook her head.

 **they plunged even deeper, passing an underground lake where huge stalactites and stalagmites grew from the ceiling and floor.  
I never know," Harry called to Hagrid over the noise of the cart,  
"what's the difference between a stalagmite and a stalactite?"**

"Oh, that's easy..." Remus started to say but just then Sirius stuffed his face with a pillow to silent him.

 **"Stalagmite's got an 'm' in it," said Hagrid.**

"That's a horrible answer." Lily said over the laughter of marauders.

 **"An' don' ask me questions just now, I think I'm gonna be sick."  
He did look very green, and when the cart stopped at last beside a small door in the passage wall, Hagrid got out and had to lean against the wall to stop his knees from trembling.**

"He must be badly shaken up." James said.

 **Griphook unlocked the door. A lot of green smoke came billowing out, and as it cleared, Harry gasped. Inside were mounds of gold coins. Columns of silver. Heaps of little bronze Knuts.  
"All yours," smiled Hagrid.**

"Um- James, exactly how rich are you?" Lily asked hesitantly. If this was just a trust vault then his family must be insanely rich.

"Very much." James replied, feeling not sure about her question.

"Any estimate?" Lily asked.

"Let's just say, Harry and his kids and his grandkids, they all can spend lavish lives without having to work at all." He replied uncomfortably. "Why do you ask?"

"Don't feel offended, but you showoff all the time. Your intelligence, flying skills, Quidditch skills and what not but I have never seen you showing off about your riches." She finished lamely.

"I showoff only what is a part of me. All this gold and stuff is a part of being a Potter, not being James." He replied in a soft voice with a crooked smile. Lily's heart skipped a beat. She fidgeted nervously for a moment and then started reading again,

 **All Harry's - it was incredible. The Dursleys couldn't have known about this or they'd have had it from him faster than blinking.**

"Don't worry about it son, that money belongs to Potters only." James said in a confident voice.

 **How often had they complained how much Harry cost them to keep?**

"You don't even give him new clothes, you liar." Sirius growled.

 **"The gold ones are Galleons," he explained. "Seventeen silver Sickles to a Galleon and twenty-nine Knuts to a Sickle, it's easy enough." He turned to Griphook. "Vault seven hundred and thirteen now, please, and can we go more slowly?"**

"Sorry Hagrid, one speed only." James smirked.

 **"One speed only," said Griphook.**

"Merlin Prongs, you talk like a goblin." Sirius said in mock disgust.

"Did you ask them to go slow too?" Lily asked unsurely.

"No, I asked them to go fast. I wanted to experience the maximum speed." Lily just rolled her eyes.

 **They were going even deeper now and gathering speed. The air became colder and colder as they hurtled round tight corners. They went rattling over an underground ravine, and Harry leaned over the side to try to see what was down at the dark bottom,**

'Insane bravery, definitely a Gryffindor.' Severus thought bitterly.

 **but Hagrid groaned and pulled him back by the scruff of his neck.**

"Remind me to thank Hagrid for that, later." Lily told James.

 **Vault seven hundred and thirteen had no keyhole.**

"That's one high security vault." Sirius said bewildered.

 **"Stand back," said Griphook importantly. He stroked the door gently with one of his long fingers and it simply melted away.**

 **"If anyone but a Gringotts goblin tried that, they'd be sucked through the door and trapped in there," said Griphook.**

"Is it true?" Lily asked to both James and Sirius. James simply nodded while Sirius muttered,

"Never tried, till now."

 **"How often do you check to see if anyone's inside?" Harry asked.  
"About once every ten years," said Griphook with a rather nasty grin.**

"I am so going to keep these goblins away from Harry." Lily vowed.

 **Something really extraordinary had to be inside this top security vault, Harry was sure, and he leaned forward eagerly, expecting to see fabulous jewels at the very least**

"Ah- jewels are not extraordinary, not to wizards at least." Snape sneered.

"He's been raised with Muggles." James reminded him patiently.

 **\- but at first he thought it was empty. Then he noticed a grubby little package wrapped up in brown paper lying on the floor. Hagrid picked it up and tucked it deep inside his coat. Harry  
longed to know what it was, but knew better than to ask.**

"He is definitely not like James, at least he has common sense." Remus chuckled and Sirius laughed while James pouted.

"What do you think it was?" Sirius asked curiously.

"It might be Philosopher's stone." Remus suggested.

"We can't be sure." Lily said.

 **One wild cart ride later they stood blinking in the sunlight outside Gringotts. Harry didn't know where to run first now that he had a bag full of money.**

"Oh Harry, spend your money wisely." Lily said in a motherly voice while Remus and Sirius tried to hold back their laughter. James was never known to spend his money wisely.

 **"Might as well get yer uniform," said Hagrid, nodding toward Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. "Listen, Harry, would yeh mind if I slipped off fer a pick-me-up in the Leaky Cauldron? I hate them Gringotts carts."**

"Hagrid did not just leave my son alone in diagon alley for a drink." James said in an angry voice.

 **Madam Malkin was a squat, smiling witch dressed all in mauve.  
"Hogwarts, clear?" she said, when Harry started to speak. "Got the lot here - another young man being fitted up just now, in fact. "**

"His first chance to make friends." Lily beamed.

 **In the back of the shop, a boy with a pale, pointed face was standing on a footstool while a second witch pinned up his long black robes.**

"Why is this description sounding so much like Lucy!" Sirius wondered.

"Lucy?" asked both Lily and Snape in unison.

"He means Lucius Malfoy." James explained. Snape just stared at them while Lily simply laughed.

 **"Hello," said the boy, "Hogwarts, too?"  
"Yes," said Harry.  
"My father's next door buying my books" said the boy. He had a bored, drawling voice. "Then I'm going to drag them off to look at racing brooms. I think I'll bully father into getting me one and I'll smuggle it in somehow."**

"You know what Harry, never mind being friends with him." Lily said dejectedly.

 **"Have you got your own broom?" the boy went on.  
"No," said Harry.  
"Play Quidditch at all?"  
"No," Harry said again, wondering what on earth Quidditch could be.**

James visibly flinched at this statement. His own son knows nothing about Quidditch. This future needs to be changed. Sirius patted his back comfortingly and Lily continued,

 **"I do - Father says it's a crime if I'm not picked to play for my house, and I must say, I agree. Know what house you'll be in yet?"**

"No one knows that before sorting anyways, you idiot." James growled, liking this boy less and less every second.

 **"No," said Harry, feeling more stupid by the minute.  
"Well, no one really knows until they get there, do they, but I know I'll be in Slytherin, all our family have been **

"Anyone wants to bet he is a relative of mine." Sirius said in a dry voice.

 **\- imagine being in Hufflepuff, I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?"**

"There is nothing wrong with Hufflepuff." Lily said in a stern voice that could challenge even McGonagall.

"Exactly, I will be proud of him if he ends up in Hufflepuff." James voiced his thoughts. Lily stared at him for moment then read on,

 **"Mmm," said Harry.  
"I say, look at that man!" Hagrid was standing there, grinning at Harry and pointing at two large ice creams to show he couldn't come in.**

"He bought him an ice-cream." Lily awed while all marauders smiled.

 **"That's Hagrid," said Harry, pleased to know something the boy didn't.  
"He works at Hogwarts."  
"Oh," said the boy, "I've heard of him. He's a sort of servant, isn't he?"**

"Alright Harry, that's enough. Now you just punch that boy and walk out of the store." Sirius said annoyed. It was a mark of how angry Lily was that she didn't even reprimanded Sirius for suggesting violence.

 **"He's the gamekeeper," said Harry. He was liking the boy less and less every second.  
"Yes, exactly. I heard he's a sort of savage **

"He is not savage." Yelled James. Nobody insults his friends.

 **\- lives in a hut on the school grounds and every now and then he gets drunk, tries to do magic, and ends up setting fire to his bed."  
"I think he's brilliant," said Harry coldly.**

"You tell him Harry." Sirius cheered.

 **"Do you?" said the boy, with a slight sneer. "Why is he with you? Where are your parents?"  
"They're dead," said Harry shortly. He didn't feel much like going into the matter with this boy.**

"I agree with you." Remus said finally forgetting that he was not supposed to talk to a book.

 **"Oh, sorry," said the other,. not sounding sorry at all. "But they were our kind, weren't they?"**

"How does that matter!" Lily was seething by now.

 **"They were a witch and wizard, if that's what you mean."**

"Good one pup." Sirius nodded in approval.

 **"I really don't think they should let the other sort in, do you? They're just not the same, they've never been brought up to know our ways. Some of them have never even heard of Hogwarts until they get the letter, imagine. I think they should keep it in the old wizarding families. What's your surname, anyway?"**

"Don't tell him Harry." Lily nearly pleaded.

"That boy is either a Black or a Malfoy." Sirius said fuming. This boy was already getting on his nerves.

 **But before Harry could answer, Madam Malkin said, "That's you done, my dear," and Harry, not sorry for an excuse to stop talking to the boy, hopped down from the footstool.  
"Well, I'll see you at Hogwarts, I suppose," said the drawling boy.**

"Unfortunately." mumbled James.

 **Harry was rather quiet as he ate the ice cream Hagrid had bought him (chocolate and raspberry with chopped nuts).**

"That's my favorite." Sirius shouted. Others just glared at him while James shook his head fondly.

 **"What's up?" said Hagrid.  
"Nothing," Harry lied.**

"Talk about it Harry, it feels good to talk." Remus said in a soft voice sending grateful looks at James and Sirius. Those two smiled back.

 **When they had left the shop, he said, "Hagrid, what's Quidditch?"  
"Blimey, Harry, I keep forgettin' how little yeh know - not knowin' about Quidditch!"**

"Always the tactful one." Lily muttered.

 **"Don't make me feel worse," said Harry. He told Hagrid about the pate boy in Madam Malkin's.  
"-and he said people from Muggle families shouldn't even be allowed in."  
"Yer not from a Muggle family. **

"Even if you were, it doesn't matter." James said firmly. Lily smiled at him.

 **Anyway, what does he know about it, some o' the best I ever saw were the only ones with magic in 'em in a long line 0' Muggles - look at yer mum! Look what she had fer a sister!"**

Lily felt her throat tighten at these words. James noticed and simply took the book from her and started reading,

 **"So what is Quidditch?"  
"It's our sport. Wizard sport. It's like - like soccer in the Muggle world -**

"What is soccer?" James asked.

"It's a Muggle sport played on ground with one ball and two goals." Replied Sirius. When dead silence filled the room, he said defensively,

"I took Muggle studies."

"I thought that was to annoy your mum only." James asked and Remus nodded.

"Well, I like Muggle things. They are fascinating." Sirius said shrugging.

 **everyone follows Quidditch - played up in the air on broomsticks and there's four balls - sorta hard ter explain the rules."**

"No, it's not." Said James and Sirius together.

 **"And what are Slytherin and Hufflepuff?"  
"School houses. There's four. Everyone says Hufflepuff are a lot o' duffers, but -"**

"Be nice, Hagrid." Lily chided.

 **"I bet I'm in Hufflepuff" said Harry gloomily.  
"Better Hufflepuff than Slytherin," said Hagrid darkly. "There's not a single witch or wizard who went bad who wasn't in Slytherin. You-Know-Who was one."**

"Not every Slytherin is bad." Lily said in defense. Marauders snickered.

 **"Vol-, sorry - You-Know-Who was at Hogwarts?"  
"Years an' years ago," said Hagrid.  
Hagrid wouldn't let Harry buy a solid gold cauldron,("It says pewter on yer list"), **

"Thanks Hagrid." Lily murmured. James just pouted, he wanted to buy a gold cauldron too.

 **but they got a nice set of scales for weighing potion ingredients and a collapsible brass telescope. Then they visited the Apothecary, which was fascinating enough to make up for its horrible smell. Outside the Apothecary, Hagrid checked Harry's list again.  
"Just yer wand left - A yeah, an' I still haven't got yeh a birthday present."**

"That's so sweet of him." Lily awed.

"Remind me buy him a dragon egg." James told Sirius. (Little did James know, evil smile here...)

 **Harry felt himself go red.  
"You don't have to -"  
"I know I don't have to. Tell yeh what, I'll get yer animal. Not a toad, toads went outta fashion years ago, yeh'd be laughed at - an' I don' like cats,**

"Me neither." Sirius said.

"There is nothing wrong with cats." Lily pouted.

 **they make me sneeze. I'll get yer an owl. All the kids want owls, they're dead useful, carry yer mail an' everythin'."**

"That's very thoughtful of him." Remus said in an impressed voice.

 **Twenty minutes later, they left Eeylops Owl Emporium. Harry now carried a large cage that held a beautiful snowy owl, fast asleep with her head under her wing.**

"That's one beautiful owl." James commented.

 **"Just Ollivanders left now - only place fer wands, Ollivanders, and yeh gotta have the best wand."  
A magic wand... this was what Harry had been really looking forward to. **

"Everyone does." Sirius said remembering his own time at Ollivanders.

 **The last shop was narrow and shabby. Peeling gold letters over the door read Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C. A single wand lay on a faded purple cushion in the dusty window.**

"What do you reckon whose wand is this?" Lily asked curiously to everyone.

"That's a fake wand. Just a normal piece of wood." Severus replied smugly. Everyone stared at him open mouthed.

"What? I asked him." He said in his defense.

 **A tinkling bell rang somewhere in the depths of the shop as they stepped inside. It was a tiny place. Harry felt strangely as though he had entered a very strict library;**

"I felt exactly the same way." James mumbled.

 **For some reason, the back of his neck prickled. The very dust and silence in here seemed to tingle with some secret magic.**

"I never had that sensation." Sirius said. Everyone agreed with him.

"Only very powerful wizards and witches can sense magic that way." Severus said, sounding absolutely impressed.

 **"Good afternoon," said a soft voice. An old man was standing before them, his wide, pale eyes shining like moons through the gloom of the shop.  
"Hello," said Harry awkwardly.  
"Ah yes," said the man. "Yes, yes. I thought I'd be seeing you soon. Harry Potter." It wasn't a question. "You have your mother's eyes. **

"Even Ollivanders remembers that?" Lily asked in a dazed voice.

 **It seems only yesterday she was in here herself, buying her first wand. Ten and a quarter inches long, swishy, made of willow. Nice wand for charm work."**

"That's really creepy." Lily muttered.

 **Mr. Ollivander moved closer to Harry. Harry wished he would blink. Those silvery eyes were a bit creepy.**

"Looks like young Harry thinks like his mum." Sirius snickered.

 **"Your father, on the other hand, favored a mahogany wand. Eleven inches. Pliable. A little more power and excellent for transfiguration.**

"Merlin's beard, he remembers my wand too." James was dazed himself.

 **Well, I say your father favored it - it's really the wand that chooses the wizard, of course."**

"It gives me chills when he talks about wands like these are alive." Remus shuddered.

 **"And that's where..."  
Mr. Ollivander touched the lightning scar on Harry's forehead with a long, white finger.**

"Alright old man, keep your hands away from my son." James fumed.

 **"I'm sorry to say I sold the wand that did it," he said softly.  
"Thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Powerful wand, very powerful, and in the wrong hands... "  
He shook his head and then, to Harry's relief, spotted Hagrid.**

"It's about time you leave him alone." Lily muttered with relief.

 **"Rubeus! Rubeus Hagrid! How nice to see you again... Oak, sixteen inches, rather bendy, wasn't it?"**

"Sixteen inches, Merlin. That's one huge wand." Sirius exclaimed.

"Well, seeing as we are talking about Hagrid..." James trailed off.

 **"It was, sir, yes," said Hagrid.  
"Hmmm," said Mr. Ollivander, giving Hagrid a piercing look. "Well, now - Mr. Potter. Let me see." He pulled a long tape measure with silver markings out of his pocket. "Which is your wand arm?"  
"Er - well, I'm right-handed," said Harry.  
Harry suddenly realized that the tape measure, which was measuring between his nostrils, was doing this on its own. **

"I never understood why he measures every possible organ." James asked sounding bemused. Others just shrugged.

 **Mr. Ollivander was flitting around the shelves, taking down boxes.  
"Right then, Mr. Potter. Try this one. Beechwood and dragon heartstring. Nine inches. Nice and flexible. just take it and give it a wave."**

 **Harry took the wand and (feeling foolish) waved it around a bit, but Mr. Ollivander snatched it out of his hand almost at once.**

"Exactly what he did to me." Lily told them.

 **"Maple and phoenix feather. Seven inches. Quite whippy. Try -" Harry tried - but he had hardly raised the wand when it, too, was snatched back by Mr. Ollivander.  
Harry tried. And tried. He had no idea what Mr. Ollivander was waiting for. The pile of tried wands was mounting higher and higher on the spindly chair.**

"Well it took me only three trials." Sirius said astonished.

"I was the tricky one. It took me nine trials." James smirked.

"Twelve." Lily smiled smugly.

"No offense to all three of you, but I think we have already lost count with Harry." Remus bring them back to earth.

 **"Tricky customer, eh? Not to worry, we'll find the perfect match here somewhere - I wonder, now - - yes, why not - unusual combination - holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple."**

"That's my mum's combination." James said.

"May be it is the one." Sirius said.

 **Harry took the wand. He felt a sudden warmth in his fingers. He raised the wand above his head, brought it swishing down through the dusty air and a stream of red and gold sparks shot from the end like a firework, throwing dancing spots of light on to the walls. Mr. Ollivander cried, "Oh, bravo! Yes, indeed, oh, very good. Well, well, well... how curious... how very curious... "**

"What is curious?" Sirius asked.

"How about you stop interrupting and we find it out." Lily said in frustration.

 **He put Harry's wand back into its box and wrapped it in brown paper, still muttering, "Curious... curious..  
"Sorry," said Harry, "but what's curious?"**

"He thinks like me." Sirius said in a cheery voice but shut up immediately when Lily glared at him.

 **"I remember every wand I've ever sold, Mr. Potter. It so happens that the phoenix whose tail feather is in your wand, gave another feather - just one other. It is very curious indeed that you should be destined for this wand when its brother gave you that scar."**

"What?" five people yelled.

"He can't be serious about this, is he?" Lily looked everywhere frantically expecting an answer out of thin air.

"Harry must be really scared." Remus wondered aloud.

Meanwhile, Snape was lost in his own thoughts. He studied wandlore. He didn't know how, but he was certain that this wand would be playing a major part in future events. He just didn't like the sound of it.

 **Harry swallowed.  
"Yes, thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Curious indeed how these things happen. The wand chooses the wizard, remember... I think we must expect great things from you, Mr. Potter... After all, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things - terrible, yes, but great."**

"Is he comparing my son to Voldemort?" James was now dangerously angry.

"He is not comparing your son to the Dark Lord, Potter. Maybe, he is just trying to say that their destinies are more intertwined then we can see." Snape replied calmly. Lily shivered at this.

"Can we just move on?" She asked. Already wanting to get over with this chapter. James nodded and continued,

 **Harry shivered. He wasn't sure he liked Mr. Ollivander too much. Harry didn't speak at all as they walked down the road. Harry only realized where they were when Hagrid tapped him on the shoulder.  
"Got time fer a bite to eat before yer train leaves," he said.  
Harry kept looking around. Everything looked so strange, somehow.**

"I felt exactly the same way." Lily said with a teary smile.

"Why is that so?" Sirius asked and James felt glad that he did.

"All of it felt like a fantasy. I thought it would all disappear if I closed my eyes or even blinked. You know, like magic." She tried to explain. James shook his head trying to understand what Lily might have felt.

 **"You all right, Harry? Yer very quiet," said Hagrid.  
Harry wasn't sure he could explain. He'd just had the best birthday of his life - and yet - he chewed his hamburger, trying to find the words.  
"Everyone thinks I'm special," he said at last. **

"That's because you are Harry, you are very special." Sirius said in his most gentle voice, like he was talking to Harry himself.

 **"I don't know anything about magic at all. I'm famous and I can't even remember what I'm famous for. I don't know what happened when Vol-, sorry - I mean, the night my parents died."**

Everyone just sighed at the reminder.

 **Hagrid leaned across the table. Behind the wild beard and eyebrows he wore a very kind smile.  
"Don' you worry, Harry. Everyone starts at the beginning at Hogwarts, you'll be just fine. just be yerself. Yeh've been singled out, an' that's always hard. But yeh'll have a great time at Hogwarts - I did - still do, 'smatter of fact."**

"I couldn't have said anything better myself. Thank you Hagrid." Lily finally let go of the tears she was holding so far.

 **Hagrid helped Harry on to the train that would take him back to the Dursleys, then handed him an envelope.  
"Yer ticket fer Hogwarts, " he said. "First o' September - King's Cross - it's all on yer ticket. See yeh soon, Harry."**

"He forgot to tell him how to get to the platform." Severus said in an exasperated voice. 'Typical Hagrid', he thought.

 **The train pulled out of the station. Harry wanted to watch Hagrid until he was out of sight; he rose in his seat and pressed his nose against the window, but he blinked and Hagrid had gone.**

"That's it." James announced as he put the book down.

"That was an eventful chapter." Remus said what everyone was thinking.

"So, what about tomorrow?" Lily asked.

"I think we should meet here tomorrow morning, so we can finish at least one chapter before breakfast." They walked out when everyone agreed to meet tomorrow morning.


	8. Chapter 8

Hey guys!

I know I sort of disappeared, but I had my reasons and this one last chapter is to apologies that I won't be continuing this story further. Before you people even think about crucioing me I want you to know that I want to write further but I can't because of some copyright thing.

I am really sorry everyone :(


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